kmj-16462
This doc was to show the a girl(who BTW was SO adorable) joining the workers party. But, I feel the directors were playing with fire by how they made the film. We all know and are aware that if something is coming out of the DPRK then it is staged and scripted. This filmmaker went to the extreme and video taped footage showing that and smuggled it out of the country. Yes, it did call them on their BS but at what cost? Who knows what happened to every North Korean involved? Those minders and their families? Those people are probably dead or close to death in some work camp. This is very repetitive and got kind of boring after awhile. Due to super long shots of people just walking and stunned to see a camera and song after song of how amazing their leader is. So this is very much a "get the story no matter what the cost" documentary. I will say though during one of the songs they flash a pic of Kim Jung-Il in the background and for a split second I thought it was a pic of the Grim Reaper a little ironic for this Doc and it's subject matter.
Pavel Axenov
In my opinion author is overstating 1984 part of life in the North Korea. Yes, it is his point of view, but sometimes i was annoyed by it, especially at moments when by adding music author trying o enlarge sadness of what happening. The funniest thing in all of this if such movie must be shooted in Russia by Russian elder people control the plot can be similar! It also will be all the best: hospital, accommodation, food, theater. Showing us helpless veteran with someone, who told him what to say. Or children repeating scene after scene the same words. Or main character and her parents in scene with eating. But it is movie, there are always director in the movie. Also there are actors in movies, so it is nothing wrong with mismatch in jobplaces and other information. North Korea was showed in traditional way - all bad, people sad, nothing will ever come out from this. But in this movie it was performed with inappropriate resources : if you change music, add some lights to scenes - it will be another movie with other ideas.
vadimkhar-47330
The movie shows how rehearsed and show-offish everything in DPRK is, which is quite rehearsed by itself. I watch all documentaries about North Korea, read books by some escapees and have no illusions about Kim's regime. However, imagine you have stability, equality, booming economy, but without ever-watching big brother and Kim-idolatry. I think, there's something there we should strive for. So, I guess the movie is OK, but it offers shallow perspective on what that country truly represents. That's an early bird - our objective, I believe, is to watch closely and think how to make it work better and more wholesome in our society. After all, socialism and consequently communism can truly be the future of our societies.
Peter Hric
This would be a great documentary if permitted so by North Korea. However, movies transfer emotions from the location or situation to a person watching it. As my summary says, it did it perfectly. We cant really see what is happening inside North Korea and how people live their every day lives but this certainly gives an idea how it may be in reality. It still leaves a great deal of details to our imagination but certainly gives us a hint.I will not comment or review this piece from a technical point of view as I could not focus on this part watching this. What we need to focus on, are certain aspects of life in North Korea and this staged documentary surely gives us an overview. You end up feeling upset, angry and at the same time heartbroken and in tears. Filmmakers deserve thumbs up for trying to achieve the impossible and they did the best from what they have been permitted to get and still came out of country all together and alive.
AD
