【8th NHIFF】the Beginning and Changing of North Korean human rights

(left to right) Asia News CEO KeumSan Kim, SaveNK Executive Director MunKyung Son, Lilac President Emi Kikuchi
한국어
'8th North Korean Human Rights International Film Festival' was held on 2nd/3rd November at Daehan Cinema in Seoul.

This year's festival was composed of works supported by NHIFF and invited works last 8 years. These films expressed the beginning and changing of North Korean human rights.

Especially, it was a good chance to think about the human rights of North Korean refugees that our society should solve together through the film "Children on the Edge", which is about the story of 'children who was born between a North Korean defector mother and a Chinese father' entering the South Korea.

《Children on the Edge》

Since 1996, many North Korean women have been sold to third countries such as China. As a result, a large number of children were born in China and the third countries.

Among them, the number of children entering Korea is increasing. These children suffer an identity crisis as they grow in the Republic of Korea or in third countries.

Yuna and Yeilim, having a North Korean defector mother, were born in China and spent their childhood in there, and spent their youth in Korea. This film follows the growth story Yuna and Yeilim in China and Korea.

《Visitors》

When a North Korean senior executive who escapes from North Korea is murdered overseas, there is an emergency in South Korea for the safety of North Korean defectors.

Detective Kim, a personal protection detective for
the North Korean defectors, has been unable to find Ryu Seo-hyun, who has been dismissed since a month ago.

《Crocodiles in Mekong River》

This is a road documentary movie about a journey of four young men following the road of escaping North Korea.

The purpose of the movie is to raise awareness of the reality of North Korea, and point out the difference between the awareness of North and South.

Also, through the story of the young North Korean defector who risked his life to escape North Korea, you can learn 'what kind of memories can be created by fear, how can memory be distorted and deleted' with self-introspection.

Later, their one and only journey of escaping North Korea that has never been tried before will be not only a stepping stone but also a compass that show the vision of unification.

《Why I Left Both Korea》

Choi Joongho is 30 years old, an ordinary Korean guy. When he was in college, he led people to meet North Korean defectors and help them, but he lost his passion for helping them after he discharged from the military service and started living a hectic life.

He left to London for studying after 3 years of working at the broadcasting company. He met a defector again at London, and that experience made him start to think more rationally and calmly about the life of the North Korean defectors and their human rights.

And then, he took a journey for visiting defectors who are living in Europe. Why this people can live in neither North nor South Korea and can't help living in the third country. Let's listen to their miserable life, struggles of unification and the future of Korea.

《The Regular Hire》

24 year-old Young-ho, who came to South Korea 16 years ago, dreams of becoming an ordinary South Korean. After graduating from a fine university with a splendid resume, he becomes a regular hire at Daesan Produce.

At sales team #2 that Young-ho is assigned, there is an intern named Ha Yeon-ju, who lost her opportunity to become a regular hire because of Young-ho.

Meanwhile, the promotional team interviews Youngho, a North Korean detector, who applied and passed the open recruitment.

《I Love South Korea》

A North Korean defectors shoot their 24 hours with action cam (small camcord. When there isn't anything special, he puts on the action camera on his head, faces the lens towards his face, and films. He records all of his whereabouts and stores what he filmed in a hard drive. Once a week, he brings his files to his detective in charge.

《Aria》

There is an unidentified girl, who is approximately 10 years old, sitting alone inside an interview room of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand. KiYoung, an embassy employee, makes an attempt to have a conversation with the girl, so she could identify her. But for some reason, the girl does not open her mouth.

The only information KiYoung has about this girl is that she is blind, and that this morning, in front of the embassy front door, the chief of a North Korean defector support organization named Pastor Kim penetrated the girl into the embassy after a physical brawl against some undercover security department employees.

《Our Family》

Now only about 10 years old, at an age when even the slightest bits of words seem like a beauty, there are children who made through the blistering cold winter and came South to preserve their lives.

10 teenage North Korean refugees live with a South Korean man named Kim Tae Hoon at a teenage North Korean detector group called 'Family.' Some of them came alone; others escaped with their parents, but were not able to live with them under negative circumstances. 10 of such teenagers live with Kim Tae Hoon under the name 'Family.' They are children with brave heart, children with diligence,

children with dreams, children with childishness, and children who celebrate their birthday for the first time. And although they share no blood, the children and their uncle are becoming 'our family.'

《Madam B》

10 years ago, Madam B left North Korea and moved to China to earn money. Her plan was to work for 1 year and go back to her homeland, but her broker tricks her and she is forcefully sold to the rural side. This film shows how tragic life can be without proper protection.

《Sunshine》

Seolji has been a detector for two years, and is a bright young lady who works hard in a flower shop. Seolji was a propaganda painter in North Korea and sometimes she paints a mural as a part-time job.

Then one day, she appears as 'Hongdae Mural Woman.' Broadcasting station PD Shin woong, who is in a crisis of extinction, seeks to recognize her and make a big documentary, but she is worried about her parents in the north. Eventually, she allows shooting on condition that she does not reveal her identity.

《The Great North Korean Picture Show》

The film industry in North Korea is a very important tool for the propaganda production of the regime. The North Korean government first permits foreign film directors to enter the only film school in North Korea. The school is an elite educational institution where young talented people are trained in film directing, and they are trained to make movies that affect public awareness as well as public film production.
Docs Port Incheon 2018 / 1st - 4th November