In 1905, Japan forced Korea to sign the Eulsa Treaty, stripping the nation of its diplomatic rights and reducing the entire peninsula to a Japanese colony. By 1909, when Harbin begins, Korea’s small but tenacious Righteous Army militia is deep into a campaign of armed resistance against the Japanese. After emerging as the sole survivor of an especially bloody skirmish, Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) heads an operation to assassinate Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea and a key symbol of violent colonial oppression. [Source: Toronto International Film Festival]
Woo Min-ho (Inside Men) directs a biographical historical thriller showcasing pivotal events and freedom fighters in the arduous struggle for Korean sovereignty. Starring Hyun Bin, Jeon Yeo-been and Park Jeong-min (TIFF ’22’s Decision to Leave), Harbin will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024.
