12.5 Don’t Cry for me

In 2010 Don’t Cry for me, Sudan set a box-office record for Korean documentaries. It tells the story of Tae-seok Lee, a doctor who became a Catholic priest. He volunteered to help the people of Tonj, a very poor and war-damaged region in Southern Sudan. 

Father Lee spent nine years there, helping children, the sick, and the poor. He built a new hospital, and treated hundreds of patients every day. Father Lee also built a new school, and taught music to children. He organized a brass band, which played at the ceremony ending the civil war in Sudan. Thanks to Father Lee, kids in Tonj were able to grow up holding books and musical instruments rather than guns. He said, “I think Jesus would have built a school first, rather than a church.”

In 2009, Father Lee visited Korea, and learned he had cancer. He wanted to return to Tonj, but he never did. In January of 2010, he died. When the news reached Tonj, lots of people held a march in his honor, holding his photograph. They cried for the man who had taken care of them with all his heart.

Since the film was released, lots of people have volunteered to help people in Tonj. New schools and hospitals are being built. Father Lee is gone, but his legacy continues.