Backdrop image for movie Free Chol Soo Lee

Free Chol Soo Lee (2022)

On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.

  • Documentary
  • Crime

Top billed cast

  • Photo of Chol Soo LeeChol Soo LeeSelf (archive footage)
  • Photo of Sebastian YoonSebastian YoonNarrator (voice)
  • Photo of Ranko YamadaRanko YamadaSelf - Friend; Defense Committee
  • Photo of K.W. LeeK.W. LeeSelf - Investigative Reporter
  • Photo of Jeff AdachiJeff AdachiSelf - Activist
  • Photo of David KakishibaDavid KakishibaSelf - Activist
  • Photo of Jay Kun YooJay Kun YooSelf - Chair, Defense Committee
  • Photo of Grace KimGrace KimSelf - Vice-chair, Defense Committee
  • Photo of Warren FurutaniWarren FurutaniSelf - L.A. Defense Committee
  • Photo of Leonard WeinglassLeonard WeinglassSelf - Defense Attorney (archive footage)

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