A Study of Slow Cinema Characteristics in Environmental Films Based on True Stories: Focusing on Dark Waters, Erin Brockovich, and Samjin Company English Class

This paper investigates how environmental films based on true stories employ the characteristics of slow cinema to reveal structural violence derived from capitalism, ecological degradation, and social injustice. Centering on Dark Waters(2020), Erin Brockovich(2000), and Samjin Company English Class(2020), this research analyzes how slow-paced cinematic strategies, such as prolonged observation, long shot and slow panning, visualize toxic capitalism and environmental destruction. The study further examines how these films foreground marginalized subjects, particularly women and ordinary citizens by repositioning them as agents of ecological justice through acts of solidarity, care, and ethical resistance. Ultimately, this study argues that environmental slow cinema offers a critical mode that makes the concealed violence visible while empowering marginalized communities as central agents in the pursuit of ecological justice.