It’s been such a long time coming.
I finally tracked down – and finally sat down and watched – the first North Korean film ever produced: My Home Village (1949), directed by Kang Hong-sik.
I knew what to expect from the film (a lack of English subtitles meant I only had a crude English synopsis to guide me) but having watched my fair share of Chinese films made after the Communists took power in 1949 I recognized many of the staples in this DPRK effort.
The good folks at Koryo Tours are hosting the China premier of an Austrian produced documentary “Hana, dul, sed”. If you’re into a more factual look at the workings of North Korea head along to the Bookworm in Beijing (details below) on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30pm. The director will be along afterwards for a Q&A.
Here’s the blurb they sent out:
Join us for the China premiere of Hana, dul, sed … A documentary by Austrian filmmaker Brigitte Weich which gives us a subtle glimpse of the workings of Pyongyang society and the way ideology functions in its citizens’ work and personal lives.
It is a film about four young women, their friendship, dreams, hopes, and the passion for football they share. Being a member of the women’s national team is not only a way to make a living but gives the players prestige, popularity, and certain privileges, like larger food rations. To Ri Jong Hi, Ra Mi Ae, Jin Pyol Hi, and Ri Hyang Ok, however, football is not about fame or fortune but hope. “What is beautiful about soccer,” says one, “is that when you run onto the pitch, it’s like your heart opens up wide, like you could take on the world.”
The film screening (98 mins) will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director.
Place: The Bookworm
Tel: (010) 6586 9507
Date: Tuesday 27th March
Time: 19:30
Cost: RMB 20 for members, RMB 30 for non-members (includes a free drink)
There are so many facets of North Korean animation worth exploring (I touched on it a little bit in my last post).
By far the most fascinating account of how the animation industry works in North Korea can be found in the graphic novel Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea. Guy Delisle – a French-speaking Canadian – was sent to North Korea by the French animation studio he was working for. Pyongyang finds itself the unlikely Asian hub for animation outsourcing, and a few titles you might not expect have been animated there (Disney’s The Lion King for one).
The graphic novel manages to capture the mundaneness and blandless of Pyongyang whilst maintaining the readers interest. If you’re interested in North Korea, it’s definitely one of the lighter reads available on the market.
My word. I have been slack.
A stack of new North Korean DVDs arrived, I got in contact with possibly the biggest authority (in the west) on North Korean film (Mr Johannes Schönherr) and people left right and centre have been pointing me in the direction of more online resources for North Korean film.
And yet the site isn’t getting updated as often as it should. Let’s blame it on the day job. And keep your eyes peeled for more updates in the future.
For now, to tide you over, here’s a link to a video on YouTube of a nameless North Korean anti-American animation. There’s so much to be said about the DPRK animation industry: how it often has work from the west farmed out to it, how Nelson Shin produced a joint North-South Korean animated film called Empress Chung and, most interestingly, part of Disney’s The Lion King were animated there.
But for now, let’s just enjoy this little short. And come back soon, for more updates are surely on the way.
North Korean Films 