Eugene Yi

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Eugene Yi
Eugene Yi-at-ACFM-in-Busan jay-dixit-photos 05848 (cropped).jpg
Eugene Yi in 2025 in Busan
OccupationDocumentary director
Notable workFree 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]

Contents

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

  1. 1 2 3 "Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, Directors of Free Chol Soo Lee". world.kbs.co.kr. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  2. 1 2 3 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.
  3. 1 2 3 Da-sol, Kim (2024-09-29). "Korean American documentary 'Free Chol Soo Lee' wins Emmy". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  4. 1 2 3 4 MacDonald, Joan. "Directing 'The Rose: Come Back To Me' Felt Just Right To Eugene Yi". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  5. 1 2 "Directors, producer of 'Free Chol Soo Lee' to visit Korea before its Korea release". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  6. ↑ 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.
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