Seoul: The Korean film "Hallan" is not an easy watch, but it is an essential one. This searing historical drama distills the vast tragedy of the Jeju April 3 uprising into the intimate, desperate journey of a mother and her young daughter to survive relentless pursuit by state forces.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Jeju April 3 uprising, which began on April 3, 1948, and continued into the early 1950s, started as a protest against the U.S. military-led administration following Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

The then government portrayed the uprising as a communist revolt and carried out brutal crackdowns, killing an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 civilians -- many of whom had no connection to armed groups. The tragedy remains one of the darkest and least openly discussed chapters of modern Korean history.