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.
Directed by Eugene Yi and Julie Ha
prison
death penalty
san francisco, california
political activism
chinatown
wrongful imprisonment
san quentin
korean american
innocent in jail
criminal justice system
racial discrimination
grassroots movement
korean
asian american
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.7 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Jeff Adachi
Self - Activist
Leonard Weinglass
Self - Defense Attorney (archive footage)
Crew
Jean Tsien
Editor
Jean Tsien
Producer
Mike Shum
Additional Camera
Jeff Adachi
In Memory Of
Tijana Petrović
Additional Camera
Popular Reviews
16 reviews
Gabriela Martínez
7.0★ · 01/07/25
that was so fucking sad hola????????
that was so fucking sad hola????????
tashi dema
10.0★ · 12/13/23
the fact he said that listening to improv jazz was worse than being on death row is so real
the fact he said that listening to improv jazz was worse than being on death row is so real
Naps
9.8★ · 06/11/22
It’s a story that needs to be told and remembered. It’s incredible. The story is captivating with a incredible cast of narration. The fight for his freedom was soo well shot and directed that I jumped out of my seat when he won the court case. I loved it and as a British Asian man this story really hit with me. This is probably one of my favourite documentaries to date.
It’s a story that needs to be told and remembered. It’s incredible. The story is captivating with a incredible cast of narration. The fight for his freedom was soo well shot and directed that I jumped out of my seat when he won the court case. I loved it and as a British Asian man this story really hit with me. This is probably one of my favourite documentaries to date.