Repatriation of Japanese citizens from Pusan, South Korea

1946

Danegger, Al, 1924-2013

Film created by photographer Al Danegger depicting repatriation of Japanese civilians and military personnel after World War II. Danegger created the film from photographs he took while in Korea, splicing the photographs together using film cement. Scenes include: soldiers on a boat; a soldier walking up a shrine's stairs through a torii; a smiling woman standing outside a house; a soldier playing a vinyl record and using a typewriter; a child carrying a baby on their back; a woman knitting; pedestrians walking and ox carts being pulled along a dirt road; farmers harvesting rice; sailboats along a harbor; a person preparing an outdoor meal; a family riding a bicycle together; farmers using an ox-drawn plough; children racing and performing outdoor school exercises; women sifting rice on the ground; landscape of the city of Pusan (later known as Busan); city street scenes, including footage of shoe and clothing vendors, vegetable markets, and pedestrians walking and families carrying babies on backs; a ship leaving the port of Pusan; soldiers fumigating Japanese citizens; people lying on stretchers on the docks; and passengers waiting in queue. 

University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

Nonfiction films

Repatriation--Japan

Busan, South Korea

University of Maryland Faculty and Staff

Special Collections and University Archives

Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the University of Maryland Libraries at http://www.lib.umd.edu/special/contact/home.

00:15:44; 16 mm film; black and white

This film is part of the Al Danegger photographs. A guide to the full collection of Al Danegger photographs is available in our archival collections: http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/7720
Bibliographical/Historical Note
Photographer Alfred "Al" Danegger served as a combat photographer during World War II. He spent seven months in Korea under what he described as "very miserable conditions." During his time in Korea, he lived within walking distance of the port of Busan and traveled freely within the country. He was able to photograph whatever he found of interest, including local events. Danegger graduated from the University of Maryland in 1950. At the University, he created and managed the University Photographic Service and served on the faculty for 27 years, teaching courses in photojournalism, general photography, and general education.
Historical background provided by Danegger includes that after World War II, Japanese citizens were ordered out of Korea and could only take with them what they could carry, including very little money. Many departed from the port of Pusan and were fumigated with a powder prior to boarding the ships.

Filename: prange-077612