HarrietHarriet

Though it is difficult to imagine, it was still possible for one group of humans to own another as they did with livestock 100 years ago. This was also an era where proprietary rights in slavery took precedence over the human rights of those who fled in search of freedom. This film tells the true story of Harriet Tubman, an African American woman who risked everything for freedom and equality at a time when such rights were not a given to all people. Born to enslaved parents in Maryland, a southern slave state, she escaped to northern Philadelphia and freed more than 70 slaves while working as a conductor of the Underground Railroad. She accompanied the army during the Civil War and rescued more than 750 slaves during the Combahee Ferry Raid. When they cried “freedom or death,” they meant that life without freedom is no life at all. However, Harriet did not live freely during her lifetime, and the question about inequality because a quest towards the cause. The film focuses on Harriet’s transformation from a once wounded soul to a strong leader who works in solidarity with her colleagues. Even after all this time, racism marked by discrimination and hatred still runs rampant in the world, as exemplified by the George Floyd incident. Harriet reminds us of how hard it is to keep what you deserve undenied. (KI Hyungmin)