Category Archives: North Korean Films

Kim Jong-il: On the Art of Cinema

A little light reading for a Monday… Here are a few of my favourite quotes as I (not for the first time) flick through Kim Jong-il’s seminal tome on how to make a film (in North Korea). “A film without … Continue reading

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Documentary: Kim Jong-Il and Stars (Part 1)

I know I promised the mother-lode  but I’m afraid it’s just going to have to be another taste. Here’s the first part (there are three in total) of a DPRK documentary about Kim Jong-Il’s efforts as a producer in North Korea. … Continue reading

Posted in Documentary, Kim Jong-il, North Korea, North Korean Films | 2 Comments

13th Pyongyang International Film Festival opens

I dug out some footage from Chinese broadcaster CCTV of the Pyongyang International Film Festival that is going on at the moment. I am sick as a dog not to be there – alas my application to enter a film … Continue reading

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Johannes Schönherr interviews Somi – the Taekwon-do Woman producer

Johannes Schönherr dropped me a line the other day to highlight an interview he conducted with Masao Kobayashi, the producer of Somi – the Taekwon-do Woman. Always good to hear from the man as he highlights another little insight into making movies … Continue reading

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Comrade Kim Goes Flying to premiere at PIFF

Koryo Tours gets a lot of mentions here on the site. And with good reason. Nick Bonner and the guys run a slick outfit offering tours to North Korea, but most meaningfully for me they have had a hand in … Continue reading

Posted in Co-production, Comrade Kim Goes Flying, Koryo Tours, North Korean Films, Pyongyang International Film Festival | 4 Comments

Two New DPRK Features

The Rodong Sinmun’s English website has given a brief glimpse of two new features that have been produced (presumably, but who knows) this year in North Korea. The first is “Wishes” The Korean Film Studio recently produced feature film “Wishes”. The film is … Continue reading

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Screenwriter: Ui Ung Yong

A Korean feature film “Two Families in Haeun-dong” produced in 1996 and the other “Myself in the Distant Future” in 1997 gave deep emotions to the Korean people. The former shows that one can only enjoy happiness in family when he devotes everything … Continue reading

Posted in Kim Jong-il, North Korea, North Korean Films | Tagged | 2 Comments

Vice Guide to North Korean Film

I’ve been apprehensive about posting this video for quite some time. Not that I have lofty ideals for this site which I think might be compromised if I posted a link to the acerbic Vice, but more because I feel a little … Continue reading

Posted in Documentary, North Korean Films, Shin Sang-ok, Vice | 1 Comment

Kim Jong Il and the Development of Cinema Art

 As reported on the North Korea Tech blog, Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea and North Korea’s main national daily, launched an English-language website over the last couple of days with quite a large amount of … Continue reading

Posted in Kim Jong-il, North Korean Films, Pyongyang Nalpharam, The Flower Girl, The Schoolgirl's Diary | Leave a comment

Review: Pyongyang Nalpharam

Museum curator: “Our traditional martial art was established as Thaekkyon in Ri Dynasty through Koryo’s. Regionally its practitioners were nicknamed differently. Eg, Chaebi and Jebi…” Mr Ko: “… and those around Mount Taesong were called Pyongyang Nalpharam… “ I loved the feel … Continue reading

Posted in Hong Kil Dong, Kung Fu, North Korea, North Korean Films, Review | 2 Comments