Yong-ho Ri
A young female coal miner struggles to realize her dream of becoming a circus acrobat in this winning, life-affirming fable that is the first Western-financed fiction feature ever made in North Korea. (TIFF)
Pyongyang, DPRK: Two ex-child gymnasts find themselves working together as directors in charge of the production of "mass games" (aka mass gymnastics, a North Korean specialty). Their joint area of responsibility is the youngest children's performance. However the two directors have different personalities and priorities. Their co-operation is less than friction-free as the pressure leading up to the performance increases. The two find that they work no better together as adults than they did as children. However there is still a bit of a spark between them. Will they manage to finish the production in time for the grand opening in front of the country's Leader? Are the children up for the challenge? Will any romance come out of all this....
A squadron of North Korean soldiers during the Korean war must scramble across dangerous terrain to cut off an American attack (with only the eponymous 12 hours in which to do it). With a commander whose health is failing him, a group of young but fiercely patriotic soldiers the DPRK army manage to hold off the Yanks (who foolishly informed the press of their planned attack before going through with it).
This movie tells the story of Hong Kil Dong, a legendary 15th century Korean Robin Hood figure. It is a mildly entertaining action film with an anti-feudal message.
