Beyond Utopia

This movie/documentary has blown me away.

The topic is uncomfortable for sure and there are some intense and dark moments in this film. But there are also lighter parts and hope, which is perfectly balanced throughout the movie.

The quality of the production is exceptional and extraordinary given the circumstances the crew must have been subject to. I can only imagine the harsh and dangerous episodes the crew had to endure by capturing what we see on screen.

I'm thankful that this documentary was made; it provides us a reality check by giving us insight in a world we couldn't even imagine it exists. Forget about sci-fi or fantasy or horror: this is an out-of-this-world experience that is actually real. The footage came across genuine and was never dramatized to cause more effect on the viewer. The storylines were intuitive and therefore touching. The political context was made very clear but not overly prominent or heavily judged; this wasn't needed as the footage spoke for itself.

The sound and editing were excellent and the cadence of scenes and dialogue felt very natural throughout.

After watching over 3000 films it's not easy to get overwhelmed, but this documentary managed to impact me substantially. My compliments to the filmmakers and the producer for taking the risk of trying to cover this topic and then delivering it in such a balanced way. I can highly recommend this film to anyone; watching this was a very "real" yet unexpected experience. 10/10 score and will definitely want to rewatch this soon.

A heart wrenching story of persecution and corruption. The film extensively investigates the harsh reality of the repressive regime in North Korea that has caused countless individuals and families to flee from oppression.

Incredibly well made, it sensitively reveals the dark and devastating reality of the regular people of North Korea. Focusing in on their humanity and giving a voice to the people who have, for years, been silenced and neglected.

Certainly an uncomfortable and intense watch but extremely gripping and informative. I would highly recommend this film as it is definitely worth watching.

Beyond Utopia is not a journey into the "hermit kingdom" (as other documentaries have attempted over the decades) but a journey out, for those lucky enough to get the opportunity. As Pastor Kim - the film's de facto hero - says, the hard part is not crossing the North Korea/China border, but navigating to safety from China, all the way to South Korea via Thailand. A fraught and treacherous journey indeed, one that is becoming more difficult all the time.

One of the most extraordinary elements of this film is that we, the audience, are privileged to accompany a family of defectors (they were actually banished but I won't go into that) all the way through this exhausting endurance test, and hopefully to safety. Said family is certainly not one you would wish to put through such hardship, consisting as it does of two girls around 6-8 years old, their parents and their grandma of 80 years. An unlikely group of survivors - but these are North Koreans, a people whose hardiness and determination are showcased with extraordinary vividness throughout this film.

The mere act of capturing unauthorised footage in the country is highly dangerous, and yet there is plenty to see here (including some distressing footage of public executions and secret beatings). But the focus is always on the people, their stories, their feelings, their worldview. The filmmakers intentionally make the things about NK we always see on the news (Kim Jong Un, the nukes, the palace intrigue) only background to the realities of everyday life.

But the most extraordinary element of all is Pastor Kim himself, a tirelessly heroic champion who coordinates the journey of the family via the many anonymous brokers who lead, drive and accommodate them on their long journey south. Remarkably, he personally escorts them through much of the journey despite a number of personal injuries and medical complaints, just as he has with hundreds of others before (and hopefully hundreds more in the future).

This is an incredibly emotional journey that is impossible not to feel on the deepest level. A more powerful and intimate documentary about this strange and terrifying country and its people is hard to imagine. By shining such a bright light on the struggles of some of the world's most oppressed citizens, this is a hugely important film that will inspire sympathy across the world, and hopefully even some positive change for North Koreans.

In today's world, it's almost unfathomable that there are places that exist on this planet that operate on the principles of unbridled cruelty, deliberate deception and mass brainwashing, with even the slightest of infractions capable of leading to banishment to remote gulags, brutal beatings and even savage public executions. However, such are the conditions of everyday life in North Korea, a paranoid, ruthless regime that doesn't hesitate to inflict such indignities on its population and deprive residents of knowledge of anything beyond its borders. In a United Nations human rights report, the unthinkable tactics employed here have been described as being on par with those that were used in Nazi Germany. So it's no wonder there are many who want to escape this harsh reality - that is, at least among those who are able to see beyond the artifice of the false utopian picture that officials have painted of their sorrowful nation. Getting out is far from easy, however, a harrowing venture that often requires defectors to flee northward to China and then maneuver through the challenging terrain of several neighboring Asian countries rather than simply crossing into nearby democratic South Korea, a sanctuary walled off by a de facto combat zone boobytrapped with countless land mines. Seeing what refugees must endure is the aim of documentarian Madeleine Gavin's latest offering, a compilation of defector stories, including those who have succeeded in escaping and those attempting to do so. The latter are compellingly filmed with firsthand, on-the-ground footage, with no reenactments, showing in detail the ordeals they must go through to make their flights to freedom, sometimes successful, sometimes not. In the process, the film also provides audiences with a concise yet comprehensive history of how North Korea reached this point while revealing some little-known troubling secrets about everyday life in this mysterious land, many of which most outsiders have probably never heard of, let alone seen. Because of this, some of the picture's imagery may be considered quite disturbing, especially for sensitive viewers, so those who are easily upset by such troubling visuals should take note. Nevertheless, this BAFTA Award-nominated release is an important piece of filmmaking that those outside this inscrutable enclave should know about - and hope that the world can help to overcome.

My favorite movies are the ones that shatter my heart into a million pieces, and this documentary shook me to the core. "Beyond Utopia" is a powerful testament to human strength, skillfully crafted through brave filmmaking that takes us deep into the lives of families striving to escape North Korean oppression. The film's eye-opening portrayal of their journey exposes a world hidden from most of us, serving as a poignant reminder of the lengths people will go to for freedom. In today's world, where social cinema holds immense importance, this documentary stands as a prime example of its significance. However, be prepared for a very tough watch as it showcases the unfiltered reality these families endure.