Another shade of blue: so strange, so familiar

"Chong" is a derogatory term for the zainichi -- descendants of Koreans brought to Japan. But "Chong" the movie tells you that it's also the Korean word for "blue." How strange that this word, so spiked with political gunpowder and consequently banned from public airwaves, should turn out to have another, altogether innocent meaning.

"Chong," a stunning film debut by 26-year-old Lee Sang Il, explores the world of young zainichi teens in urban Japan, a subject which, like the title, is loaded with the kind of thorny political connotations that could cause a theater full of Japanese audiences to break out in eczema. But scratch the surface and the story underneath is bright, funny and surprisingly familiar.

"Chong" is somewhat autobiographical since Lee himself was schooled at a chosen gakko (Korean school) until college. To the average Japanese, these schools are shrouded in mystery and off-limits to non-zainichi. But this much they do hear: Classes are held in Korean, and framed portraits of Kim Il-Sung adorn the walls in every classroom. Girls come to school in traditional Korean dress and boys are renowned for being hot-tempered and violent. One does not mess with a chosen kid and one does not ask a chosen girl out.