The Apology

"Comfort women" was the term used to describe the women and girls across Asia—more than 200,000 of them—who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War. A handful of these women, now known as "grandmas" and all in their 80s and 90s, are demanding an official apology from a reluctant Japanese government. The film focuses on three: Grandma Adela from the Philippines, whose greatest regret is that she never told her husband about her past before he died; Grandma Cao from China, who rose above her tragedy to adopt and single-handedly raise a daughter; and the indomitable Grandma Gil from South Korea, who resolutely and tirelessly travels Asia to tell her story and end war crimes against women. Heart-wrenching and inspirational, beautiful and transformative, the journey of these grandmothers is a profound testament to the human spirit's demand for justice. (Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival)