The story of several families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen.The story of several families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen.The story of several families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen.
- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 7 wins & 47 nominations total
- Self, journalist
- (as Jean Lee)
- self, Soyeon Lee's son
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- Quotes
self, author of 'The Girl with Seven Names': I'm thinking, if I'm a bird, I can fly anywhere I want. What if I'm flying to North Korea seeing everyone there? And I was thinking, what if you see your friend is dying for starvation or sickness? You are one little bird. So is it happy for you to see that reality, or is it just better if you don't know, you don't see that. Which one makes you happy?
- ConnectionsFeatured in 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards (2024)
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.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Flykten från Nordkorea
- Filming locations
- Seoul, South Korea(location)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $11,716
- Gross worldwide
- $110,196
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1