National Funeral of Emperor Sunjong

Contains scenes from the funeral rehearsals for Sunjong, the last Emperor of Korea. As the only existing film of a Korean royal funeral, this film contains historically important images of the procession, urban scenery, and people. The recurring aerial view of the funeral procession shot from a high-rise building creates a particularly spectacular image. According to a newspaper article published on 19 August 1926, the motion picture of Emperor Sunjong’s funeral was screened in theatres to packed audiences. – Sungji Oh, Stefan Droessler