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For some reason I have been attracted to documentaries about North Korea lately. They say that truth is stranger than fiction. The NK regime is so bizarre and so evil that I can't turn my eyes away. Most of these are available for streaming on Netflix.
1) National Geographic: Inside North Korea
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Na...637#height1800
This doc has been mentioned on CUF before. A camera crew went in with a group of eye doctors on a mission to remove cataracts and did some extra filming while they were there. Fascinating look at conditions inside the country, including almost no cars on the roads (a common theme in all of the docs). But the most disturbing element is the cult-like obsession with the Great Leader and how just about everything in their daily lives revolves around him. The downside for this one is that the director, Lisa Ling, is annoying and overbearing at times.
2) A State of Mind
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/A-...403#height1685
British doc that follows two young girls as they prepare for the Mass Games, a huge synchronized gymnastics event they perform periodically for the Great Leader. Many elements similar to (1), but with a bit of a different angle. Strange to realize that you are seeing the daily lives of the wealthiest and most privileged (other than top leadership) people in NK, and yet they have almost nothing. And the mass games are Mesmerizing.
3) Dispatches: Undercover in the Secret State
http://documentaryheaven.com/dispatc...-secret-state/
This one is more low budget than the others, but well worth watching. Focuses on a small, but vibrant group of dissidents in NK and efforts being made to document executions and atrocities. In one case, someone puts a small poster under a rural bridge voicing dissent against the NK regime. The ramifications (massive retaliation against a large group of people - none of which had anything to do with it) were stunning.
4) Crossing the Line
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Cr...403#height2165
This one was my favorite of the bunch. Covers the defection of four US soldiers to NK across the de-militarized zone back in the 60's. Extensive interviews with James Dresnok, currently an old man living in Pyonyang. One of the more interesting docs I have ever seen. It is mind-boggling to think of someone making such a horrific mistake; not just one person, but four people. What would lead someone to do this? What would they experience the rest of their lives?
The creepiest part of the doc was when they interview Dresnok's son. Average looking white kid (Dresnok had a white wife for a while). Then he starts speaking and he sounds exactly like your average brain-washed NK citizen, which in fact he is. Chilling.
1) National Geographic: Inside North Korea
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Na...637#height1800
This doc has been mentioned on CUF before. A camera crew went in with a group of eye doctors on a mission to remove cataracts and did some extra filming while they were there. Fascinating look at conditions inside the country, including almost no cars on the roads (a common theme in all of the docs). But the most disturbing element is the cult-like obsession with the Great Leader and how just about everything in their daily lives revolves around him. The downside for this one is that the director, Lisa Ling, is annoying and overbearing at times.
2) A State of Mind
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/A-...403#height1685
British doc that follows two young girls as they prepare for the Mass Games, a huge synchronized gymnastics event they perform periodically for the Great Leader. Many elements similar to (1), but with a bit of a different angle. Strange to realize that you are seeing the daily lives of the wealthiest and most privileged (other than top leadership) people in NK, and yet they have almost nothing. And the mass games are Mesmerizing.
3) Dispatches: Undercover in the Secret State
http://documentaryheaven.com/dispatc...-secret-state/
This one is more low budget than the others, but well worth watching. Focuses on a small, but vibrant group of dissidents in NK and efforts being made to document executions and atrocities. In one case, someone puts a small poster under a rural bridge voicing dissent against the NK regime. The ramifications (massive retaliation against a large group of people - none of which had anything to do with it) were stunning.
4) Crossing the Line
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Cr...403#height2165
This one was my favorite of the bunch. Covers the defection of four US soldiers to NK across the de-militarized zone back in the 60's. Extensive interviews with James Dresnok, currently an old man living in Pyonyang. One of the more interesting docs I have ever seen. It is mind-boggling to think of someone making such a horrific mistake; not just one person, but four people. What would lead someone to do this? What would they experience the rest of their lives?
The creepiest part of the doc was when they interview Dresnok's son. Average looking white kid (Dresnok had a white wife for a while). Then he starts speaking and he sounds exactly like your average brain-washed NK citizen, which in fact he is. Chilling.
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