Documentaries about North Korea

My name is URL

I've watched a couple of really good documentaries relating to North Korea lately.

Crossing the Line (2006) - This is about a group of US soldiers that defected to DPRK at the height of the Cold War. Filmed in Pyongyang; it documents the story of one of the defectors. It's very interesting, but the main character seems quite insincere at times.

Welcome to North Korea (2001) - This is at the other end of the spectrum. It blatantly panders to the anti-communist audience, and no matter how genuine people appear to be, the narrator makes it seem as id they are acting under duress.

I'd highly recommend both documentaries regardless of content. Any view inside the most secretive nation on the planet is a good view.

Do you have any other recommendations, or know of any documentaries which give a fair and balanced account of what is going on there?

Aidric

Haven't see this one myself yet but came across it today and downloaded it for later watching.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456012/

pedantic.pat

Thanks for those My Name is URL.


I am always on the lookout for a good documentary on North Korea.


This is my favourite documentary:


http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-t...h-korea-1-of-3


All secretly filmed on a point and shoot camera by American tourists. In part three they go to the Arian games (mass choreographed gymnastics) mentioned in Aidric's post.


Also watched this, its very sad;

Children of the secret state:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/children-of-the-secret-state/

Secretly filmed by a young North Korean to show the world the suffering in his native state.


Edit: I think i have seen Welcome to North Korea it can be streamed here:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/welcome-to-north-korea/

dante7744

The Red Chapel (2009)

A journalist with no scruples, a disabled person, and a comedian travels to North Korea with a mission - to challenge the conditions of the smile in one of the world’s most notorious regimes.

On the pretext of being a small theatre troupe on a cultural exchange visit from Denmark, 'The Red Chapel' was given permission to travel to North Korea with the objective of performing at special events for selected audiences. But in reality the small troupe was compromised of a group who had no such intentions. Two group members, Jacob and Simon, were both adopted form North Korea to Europe as infants and this is their story about the confrontation with their biological roots, and their attempt to act and perform in a world where humour and humanity have very poor conditions.

It is also a story about the meeting between the free mind and the absolute surveillance society. North Korea's 23 million citizens are ruled by the iron hand of 'The Dear Leader', General Kim Jong-il. The country has a history of starving its people, violating human rights and abusing and killing its handicapped citizens. The title 'The Red Chapel' is a reference to a communist spy cell that operated in Nazi Germany under the name 'Rote Kapelle'.

In short, The Red Chapel chronicles the amusing and often bizarre encounters between this Danish “theatre troupe” and their North Korean hosts in a one of a kind, East-meets-West-meets-East look at cultural exchange in the modern world's last anti-globalist bastion.

http://www.docmasters.tv/topic/9232-the-red-chapel-2009-bbc/

thomur

Agree 100% re Vice documentary. They have some brilliant docs. They one on Devils breath in Colombia is good too.

Achtung! Bono

a few NK docs here

http://veehd.com/search?q=North+Korea

you need to register for free (a simple username and password) and this will avoid having to download any sh!te. some great stuff tho on this site i could not find elsewhere.

register here

http://veehd.com/

ballsymchugh

Aidric wrote: »

Haven't see this one myself yet but came across it today and downloaded it for later watching.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456012/

state of mind is an excellent documentary. this will give you a taster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZVYq3ZwKgI

the guy who produced it, nick bonner, runs a tour company that goes into north korea a good few times a year if anyone's interested. very sound guy too.