The UN's Quiet Diplomat, Ban Ki-moon

Documentary film <The Quiet Leader> (The Quiet Diplomat) Tumblbug Project

Why this film, and why now?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine fundamentally questions the very reason for the UN's existence: to maintain international peace and security. In 1945, the world established the United Nations to prevent the horrors of war, but today, the UN is wandering in division and helplessness.
At the center, the quiet diplomat who led the UN for ten yearsBan Ki-moon A documentary film highlighting the life of the former UN Secretary-General will soon be released.

<The Quiet Leader> is not just a simple biographical documentary.
Amid the crisis facing the UN today, this documentary film powerfully questions whether the UN's multilateralism is still valid.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Became a refugee during the Korean War, but received aid from UN peacekeepers and dreamed of the world stage. Decades later, Ban Ki-moon became the 8th Secretary-General of the UN, demonstrating quiet yet resolute leadership in the face of global crises such as climate change, pandemics, refugees, women's rights, and authoritarian regimes.

Film Introduction

Title: The Quiet Leader

Director: Charles Lyons (Journalist formerly with The New York Times and ABC News)

Producer: Susan Lee MacDonald (Host & Producer at ARIRANG, EBS)

Distributor: CMNIX

Others: Official film adaptation of Ban Ki-moon's autobiography <Ban Ki-moon: Moments of Decision>

Running Time: 65 minutes

Special Premiere : June 19, 2025 (Time and venue to be announced later)

Theatrical Release : Official release scheduled after June 2025

Project Budget

The target amount will be used for the following expenses.
50% for inviting the U.S. production team
40% for theater rental and merchandise production
10% for promotional marketing costs

Project Schedule

May 26 (Mon): Funding start date

June 14 (Sat): Funding end date

June 16 (Mon): Announcement of special premiere venue and date

June 19 (Thu): Special premiere event

Project Team Introduction

Director Charles Lyons

Charles Lyons is a multimedia journalist and filmmaker. He recently produced coverage of the 2022 Brazilian presidential election for PBS NewsHour, which included two feature reports on deforestation and Indigenous rights. Previously, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, he produced and edited coverage of the pandemic situation in Brazil for PBS NewsHour.

Charles Lyons is the director and co-writer of the short drama film The Ghost of F. Scott Fitzgerald, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was sold to the Independent Film Channel. He is currently developing a film about the life of 1920s poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, with executive producers Judy James of Quiz Show and Deb Neumeier, formerly of Amblin.

He has also produced short films on human rights and environmental issues for UNTV in Brazil, India, and Japan, and has worked as a producer and writer for ABC News.

As a print journalist, he was a contributor to The New York Times and served as a staff reporter and columnist for Variety. At PBS NewsHour, he produced a climate change series in collaboration with a Google-sponsored nonprofit. He also contributed op-eds on Indigenous issues in Brazil to The New York Times. At ABC News, he worked as a writer and producer for Good Morning America and 20/20.

Lyons is the author of the book The New Censors: Movies and the Culture Wars, and holds a PhD in Theatre and Film from Columbia University. He has taught film-related courses at Yale University, Columbia University, UCLA, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Cinematography Jaehyuk Lee

Director Jaehyuk Lee, a graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles, is an outstanding gaffer and cinematographer currently based in his hometown of Seoul, South Korea.

He has worked as a gaffer and cinematographer on numerous projects, including Veteran 2, Smugglers, Pachinko, Escape from Mogadishu, Okja, Black Panther, and The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos.

Reward Description

Special Screening Invitation
We will hold a special screening for those who participated in the funding.
The screening is scheduled to take place at a rented theater in Seoul on June 19, and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is also expected to attend.

: The screening time may change depending on the theater's circumstances.
: No separate paper invitation will be sent for the screening. Please visit the venue on the final selected screening date, and you will receive a screening ticket at the booth on site for same-day admission.
: Please note that if you are subscribed to the 070 call blocking service through your carrier, group text messages with screening information may be marked as spam.
: Shipping information will be collected for screening notifications, but no physical goods will be shipped.

Eco Bag

Depending on the reward you selected, a UN-themed eco bag will also be provided at the venue when you receive your screening ticket.

: If you do not attend the premiere, it is not possible to ship only the eco-bag separately.
: The eco-bag can only be received at the screening event venue.

Support by purchasing a ticket

If it is difficult for you to actually attend the special premiere and you choose to support by purchasing a ticket,

The collected support funds will be used for the official release costs and additional premiere expenses.

Poster (autograph)

You can receive an autograph from former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the director on the poster.

Credit listing

Supporters' names will be listed in the credits of the online version, such as IPTV and OTT, not in the theatrical version.

Conversation with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the director

After the movie screening, together with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the director, There will be an event for a conversation with the audience (GV).

Group photo

After the conversation with the audience (GV), you can take a group photo with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the production team.