Eugene Yi
Eugene Yi | |
|---|---|
Eugene Yi in 2025 in Busan | |
| Occupation | Documentary director |
| Notable work | Free Chol Soo Lee, The Rose: Come Back to Me |
Eugene Yi is an American documentary director known for his work on Free Chol Soo Lee, which he co-directed with Julia Ha,[1] and The Rose: Come Back to Me.[2][3][4] Yi has said he is drawn to stories about diasporic communities.[4]
Career
Yi worked in film editing and print journalism before becoming a director.[4] He edited videos for outlets including The New York Times and Al Jazeera.[5]
Yi co-directed, with Julie Ha, the 2022 documentary, Free Chol Soo Lee, about the wrongful conviction of Chol Soo Lee for the murder of gang leader Yip Yee Tak in San Francisco.[1] The documentary explores the life of Lee, who spent nearly a decade in prisons in California before being released.[1] At the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, where the movie premiered, the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category, before it was broadcast on PBS.[3] The documentary won an Emmy in the Outstanding Historical Documentary category at the 2024 Emmy Awards.[3]
In 2023, Yi directed The Rose: Come Back to Me, which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival in June.[2] On the documentary, Yi has stated “On some level it’s a very familiar story for a lot of European or American or Latin American bands, but just one that you hear less of in Korea. In that way, being able to hear a lesser heard story, that was something that really, really resonated with me, as well as in terms of giving a much rounder vision and look into what it is to be a Korean musician and a Korean artist right now.”[4] He has also stated “it was so much rarer to hear about Korean musicians deciding to do things their own way.” [6]
Personal life
Yi is a second-generation Korean American.[2] Growing up, Yi enjoyed American rock and roll, and was exposed to k-pop and Korean culture.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, Directors of Free Chol Soo Lee". world.kbs.co.kr. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
- ^ a b c Carey, Matthew (2025-09-18). "CJ 4DPLEX Acquires 'The Rose: Come Back To Me,' Eugene Yi Documentary On South Korean Indie Rock Band Sensation". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
- ^ a b c Da-sol, Kim (2024-09-29). "Korean American documentary 'Free Chol Soo Lee' wins Emmy". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
- ^ a b c d MacDonald, Joan. "Directing 'The Rose: Come Back To Me' Felt Just Right To Eugene Yi". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
- ^ a b "Directors, producer of 'Free Chol Soo Lee' to visit Korea before its Korea release". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ^ Agarwal, Aayushi (2025-06-07). "In Conversation: 'The Rose: Come Back To Me' Director Eugene Yi and Producer Diane Quon". Focus. Retrieved 2025-11-19.