Our Construction

Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was a colony of the Empire of Japan. In 1919, protests against Japanese rule were held throughout Korea, in what became known as the March 1st Movement. The protests were brutally suppressed by the Japanese, resulting in thousands of deaths, and were ultimately unsuccessful in the short term. However, the Movement became a catalyst and symbol for the Korean independence movement.[5]

After the end of World War II in 1945, Kim Il Sung became leader of the Soviet-backed Provisional People's Committee of North Korea in February 1946.[6] Shortly afterwards, the North Korean government encouraged the creation of films that forwarded ideas of anti-imperialism, anti-feudalism, and democracy.[5][1] They also wanted the films to focus on working-class people, such as factory workers and peasants.[1][2]

According to recent articles by the North Korean government-supported DPRK Today and Kim Il Sung University, in February 1946, Kim Il Sung tasked a worker with creating the film.[3]

According to an interview in the South Korean Monthly Chosun with Jeong Chu,[lower-alpha 2] Jeong's eldest brother Jeong Jun-chae went to North Korea from Seoul with a single German camera in February 1946, planning to film celebrations of the March 1st Movement, International Women's Day (8 March), and International Workers' Day (1 May).[lower-alpha 3] He started a film studio in a former sock factory in the Taedong County area of Pyongyang, and requested support for his work from Kim Chang-man,[lower-alpha 4] the head of propaganda for the Workers' Party of North Korea. Jeong received that support and also approval from Kim Il Sung. Jeong Jun-chae then played a pivotal role in the creation of some of North Korea's earliest films, including Our Construction.[6]

The film was created by the film department of the Workers' Party, which was the predecessor to the 1947 Korean Art Film Studio and the Korean Documentary Science Studio.[2][7][8][lower-alpha 5] The department initially had only around five members and a single camera, making the task difficult. They created the film with that camera and a departmental budget of 100,000 won.[2][3] The film was originally planned and shot as three independent films, but under the instruction of Kim Il Sung, the three films were merged into one.[2]