Storyline
On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.
Cast & Crew
CS
Chol Soo Lee
Self (archive footage)
LeadSY
Sebastian Yoon
Narrator (voice)
RY
Ranko Yamada
Self - Friend; Defense Committee
KL
K.W. Lee
Self - Investigative Reporter
Jeff Adachi
Self - Activist
DK
David Kakishiba
Self - Activist
JK
Jay Kun Yoo
Self - Chair, Defense Committee
GK
Grace Kim
Self - Vice-chair, Defense Committee
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Julie Ha's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Free Chol Soo Lee is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
