Iranian director makes “The One Million Dollar President”

TEHRAN,June 10(MNA) -- Iranian filmmaker Alireza Bahrami has recently completed “The One Million Dollar President”, a documentary about Kang Woo Hyon, the president of the Naminara Republic. The Republic is a micronation established in 2006 as a culturally-focused tourism booster for the privately-owned island of Nami, which is situated in the Han River, in the South Korean city of Chuncheon. Bahrami took a trip to the republic to interview Kang for his film. He is a graphic designer, who receives only an equivalent amount of one dollar for his position of president, Bahrami said. “He creates plasterworks and paintings. He even teaches the workers how to do their job. He has a sympathetic ear and also cares for the viewpoints of the visitors of the island,” he added. “The One Million Dollar President” is scheduled to be screened for Kang and his cabinet ministers in the near future. Nami is a man-made island created in 1944 as a result of the inundation of the Han valley upriver from the Cheongpyeong Dam. It is named for General Nami, a military commander who was executed after being falsely accused of treason during the reign of King Sejo (reigned 1455-1468 CE). The island was purchased in 1965 by Min Byungdo, who in 1966 founded Gyeongchun Tourism Development Inc. as a vehicle for developing Nami into a holiday resort and amusement park - purposes it continued to serve until the dawn of the following century. The company's name was changed to Namisum Inc. in 2000, and in 2001 Kang became its new chief executive. He was also known as a community activist working in support of environmental causes. On assuming control of Nami, Kang began de-emphasizing the traditional hedonistic aspects of the resort, while simultaneously placing greater emphasis on the island as an environmental and cultural tourism destination. Commencing in 2001 Namisum began to invest heavily in environmental, artistic and cultural events.