Propaganda film You and Me
You and Me (Kimi to boku, 1941) was a propaganda film made by the Joseon (Korea) military in conjunction with the extension of the conscription system to colonial Korea (cabinet decision on May 8, 1942; enforced starting in 1944). The director was Eitarō Hinatsu (Korean name: Young Huh), and actors included famous stars such as Kuniko Miyake, Isamu Kosugi, Kojirō Nagata (Yong-gil Kim), Koran Lee, and Ye-bong Mun.
The purpose of the film was to justify Japan’s imperialistic ideology and compulsory war mobilization. It was screened all over the Korean peninsula, promoting the message that it was an honor for Koreans to serve as “Japanese” imperial soldiers and that this was the realization of “Japan and Korea as One Body” (naisen ittai).
Although the film was regarded as a lost work for a long time, part (1/4) of the film was discovered in the spring of 2009, attracting public attention. Afterward, still pictures from the movie went on sale in a certain used book store. They were 60 photos that the director Eitarō Hinatsu had sent to his mentor, Tomotaka Tasaka.
