About the Film

Jeronimo: The Untold Tale of Koreans in Cuba (2019) traces the amazing life story of a Korean Cuban named Jerónimo Lim Kim. Born to Korean immigrant parents freed from indentured servitude in early twentieth century Mexico, Jerónimo joins the Cuban Revolution with his law school classmate Fidel Castro and becomes an accomplished government official in the Castro regime, until he rediscovers his ethnic roots and dedicates his later life to reconstructing his Korean Cuban identity. After Jerónimo's death, younger Korean Cubans recognize his legacy, but it is not until they are presented with the opportunity to visit South Korea that questions about their mixed identity resurface.

About the Director

Director Joseph Juhn is an award-winning lawyer-turned-filmmaker with a passion for telling diasporic narratives. He recently completed his second documentary Chosen, which is about five Korean Americans who ran for US Congress in 2020. His first feature documentary Jeronimo was selected at 17 film festivals around the world, winning two best audience awards. Passionate about causes pertinent to the Korean American and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, Juhn also served on the steering committee of Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs (KSE), a non-profit with an aim to empower entrepreneurs of Korean descent in the US.

Discussant: Dr. Hea-Jin Park is an independent researcher based in Canberra. She was born in Korea, raised in Paraguay, and calls Australia home. She completed her medical degree at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción and received her doctoral degree from the ANU for her thesis on the history of South Korean agricultural migration to South America. Her current research projects focus on Australians who have had a significant impact on the relationship between Australia and Korea. For her latest project, please see here.

Hosted by ANU Korea Institute

Sponsored by The Korean Association of Canberra, Changbi Edu.

The screening of Jeronimo will be followed by a discussion and Q&A session with Director Joseph Juhn, facilitated by Dr. Hea-Jin Park. Afterwards, there will be a book signing session of a limited number of copies of the director's book, 당신의 수식어 (donated by the Korean publisher Changbi). The book tells a story about the director himself with multiple descriptors such as a lawyer, film director, Korean American, and diaspora, embarking on a radiant journey to discover his own identity. A light meal will also be provided before the film screening. All are welcome!

This event is in-person only.