명령을 따랐다고? 죄는 묻어도, 기억은 묻히지 않는다

Opening night of a play brings a sense of bewilderment to the audience. A man in military uniform, sitting in his seat with a distant look, suddenly begins to share his personal experiences. As he speaks with clarity and gestures, the doctor enters. She asks, "Will you go into the forest?" The 19-year-old war criminal, Statek, who was drafted into a concentration camp during the war and witnessed the brutal sexual assaults on numerous women, tries to find the location of the forest where he and others killed and buried women.

He claims he "doesn't remember," but continues to repeat his stories throughout the 110-minute performance. He defends his actions by saying, "Everyone did it. I survived because I followed orders. Blameless 17-year-old, making the best decision at the time. Who is to judge who is right and wrong? It was just part of the war." A woman named Maya appears before him, offering him a chance to avoid execution if he agrees to speak the truth.

She demands he finds the location of the buried women, taunting him with abuse, hunger, and the removal of his ears. Finally, she brings his memories to light and helps uncover the location of the buried women, giving justice to the women. The play "Grave" by Canadian playwright Colin Wagner, which premiered on July 26th to July 30th at the Freedom Theater in Seoul, aims to revisit the essence of humanity through the exploration of violence, memory, and responsibility.

Inspired by the mass burial incident during the Yugoslav wars, the play tackles issues that can occur in any war, making it a universal exploration of the violence that persists even after the end of war.