Logline:
Amy Lee, the last princess of the Korean Empire, lives a solitary life in New York, and speaks about the lives of the final Korean Royal Family and the real value of freedom.
Synopsis:
Amy Lee (92), who lives a solitary life in NYC's West Harlem, is the granddaughter of Emperor Gojong and the last princess of the Korean Empire. She was raised as a pampered doll in her childhood; when she was two, she was forced to part with her mother and was raised by Princess Ui Wang, in a life filled with royal pageantry and protocol. As a member of the Royal Family, she experienced hardship throughout the Japanese colonial era and the Korean War. Japanese imperialists would blame the collapse of the Korean Empire on the errors of the Royal Family, and after Korea attained independence, the new government would seize the fortunes of the Royal Family and ensure history told their story negatively.
In 1956, Amy Lee decided to leave Korea, surrendering her royal legacy. She became a student in Texas, but after graduation, she fell into the hard life of an undocumented alien. Amy worked hard as a waitress, a cleaner, and as a worker in a kimchi factory before finally settling in New York. She found work as a librarian at Columbia University, through which she learned the true history about her family—including the father she had spent a lifetime despising.
Director's Note:
Many people dream of becoming famous through any means necessary. Meanwhile many royal family members, born into elite life, are eager to flee the world they see as a cage. Prince Harry (UK) and Princess Mako (Japan) are the latest examples. However, 70 years ago, the last princess of the Korean Empire made a similar choice. Amy Lee lived the royal life after being taken from her mother and raised in a palace. As the empire fell, she witnessed the tragic lives of family members such as Emperor Gojong and Prince UI. Through her eyes, the lives of women in the court were especially tragic. "I've never experienced a normal happy family life like others. Look into the lives of Princess Ui Wang, who raised me, my biological mother, and my aunt, Princess Deokhye. What sad life stories these women experienced!" Amy Lee is not only a witness to Korean modern history, but also to the women who yearned for freedom from royal cages and the happiness many take for granted.
Many people dream of becoming famous through any means necessary. Meanwhile many royal family members, born into elite life, are eager to flee the world they see as a cage. Prince Harry (UK) and Princess Mako (Japan) are the latest examples. However, 70 years ago, the last princess of the Korean Empire made a similar choice. Amy Lee lived the royal life after being taken from her mother and raised in a palace. As the empire fell, she witnessed the tragic lives of family members such as Emperor Gojong and Prince UI. Through her eyes, the lives of women in the court were especially tragic. "I've never experienced a normal happy family life like others. Look into the lives of Princess Ui Wang, who raised me, my biological mother, and my aunt, Princess Deokhye. What sad life stories these women experienced!" Amy Lee is not only a witness to Korean modern history, but also to the women who yearned for freedom from royal cages and the happiness many take for granted.
Best Pitch
IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam), 2022
DMZ DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL ,2023
EIDF (EBS INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL),2023
