It’s the same story for decades. An innocent man was racially profiled and sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In the documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, the story took an investigative journalist to free a convicted murderer that spawned protests.

As one of the films in 2022 Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Documentary Competition Selection, streaming service and global distributor MUBI acquired the rights for distribution in multiple territories, including North America and the United Kingdom.

The film is directed by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi.

Here is the synopsis of the documentary:

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. Sentenced to life, he spends years fighting to survive until investigative journalist K.W. Lee takes a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social justice movement that would unite Asian Americans, and inspire a new generation of activists. Nearly five decades later, Free Chol Soo Lee excavates a largely unknown yet essential story, crafting an intimate portrait of the complex man at the center of the movement, and serving as an urgent reminder that Lee’s legacy is more relevant than ever.

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“Our team is overjoyed to be partnering with MUBI, who embrace and share our goal of making sure Free Chol Soo Lee finds a large and diverse audience,” said Ha and Yi in a statement. “They understand the art of the film and the heart of the story: the love between a poor Korean immigrant street kid and the strangers who embraced him and deemed him worthy. With MUBI’s partnership, we hope to endure a long life for the film and an enduring legacy for Chol Soo Lee and the landmark movement he inspired.”

MUBI plans for a theatrical release later this year in the United States.

Source: MUBI