Beyond Utopia

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"Beyond Utopia" is a documentary that follows families as they attempt to escape oppression, revealing a world most of us have never seen. This one won the Audience Award for U. S. Documentary Competition and I managed to get tickets to this one at the last minute and this was surprisingly pretty great.

The concept is something we have heard before but the film does a good job and exploring the dystopia of North Korea and explores political aspects that are genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Throughout, the film has great presentation, the interviews from the participants were interesting to listen as they provide a good insight of their escapes and experiences with North Korea. The direction was pretty good as the film maintains a steadily tone and good structure.

There are scenes of video footage in North Korea prisons or camps that were really difficult to watch and makes the stomach feel pretty uncomfortable to witness. Never once felt bored when watching this film. I can see why it won the awards.

Rating: A+

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.

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.

It is easy to think we are already aware that North Korea is "bad", and that its citizens are "oppressed". But can we really imagine what this means every day for the human beings living there? The importance of this film can be overstated. It transcends being "just" a film and becomes a cry for help that all of the free world must heed. Many people literally risked their lives for these stories to be told, and the least we can do to honor them is to hear their stories first hand.

Nazi comparisons today are often thrown around carelessly, however, what is happening in North Korea is truly worthy of the comparison without a hint of hyperbole. But there are some amazing individuals doing their part to make a difference, and it is inspiring to learn more about them in this film.

As of this writing, there is no US distribution for "Beyond Utopia". It seems no one (yet) has the backbone to release this to all Americans. It's likely that echoes of what happened to Sony Pictures with the release of "The Interview" still lingers for some executives. But that risk is so superficial compared to what North Korean citizens are facing every minute. The actions of North Korea deserve to be uncloaked, and this film is a giant step in that direction.

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.