January 9, 2024
FILM: BEYOND UTOPIA
DIRECTED BY: MADELEINE GAVIN
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
With tensions building throughout the Middle East, the Russian-Ukraine border, and right here in the U.S., it’s hard to imagine that there could be even more suffering in the world that isn’t regularly reported. However, the documentary Beyond Utopia explores the harrowing journeys many people from North Korea endure as they attempt to escape and find freedom from their highly restrictive country. The risks associated with leaving are incredibly great: from threats of being tortured or murdered to traveling on terrain that is filled with potentially severe hazards.
Filmmaker Madeleine Gavin explores a few case studies to illustrate the deeply disturbing situation many of these refugees find themselves in. She includes hidden camera footage following a family attempting to escape to freedom in Thailand, a defector who exposes what real life is like in North Korea, and a mother waiting for some positive word on the status of her son whom she’s not seen in ten years. The first of these is particularly tension filled because the family is given constant warnings about the dangers that lie ahead, including the difficulty of crossing through jungles and rivers and the possible threats to their own safety. We see the footage as it is occurring as they make their way on the treacherous journey. Gavin also provides plenty of testimonies about the landmines between North and South Korea making that an impossible route. We also learn about the close ties North Korea has to China, Vietnam, and Laos that makes the stakes even higher for the family as they travel through those countries. They could be returned and severely punished or killed if caught.
The other interviewees offer special insight into life in North Korea with emphasis on the lack of freedom and ability to communicate with the outside world. It’s interesting to hear the rhetoric they are taught about Americans, which the government tells them are evil killers and “bastards” who start wars. Gavin also includes discussions about the history of the Koreas, their war in the 1950s, and their general cultural differences. According to the film, the government of North Korea is more interested in their nuclear program than in their people and Kim Jong-Un is considered their God. Even some of the members of the defecting family can’t shake this idea, which they’ve been brainwashed to believe.
Some of this, of course, might be known to anyone who follows recent or current history. However, Gavin’s approach to the material is particularly informative and concise. It’s also filled with chilling, tension filled original music that creates an air of utter suspense and a feeling for the high stakes experienced by North Korean citizens and possible defectors.
There is some hope here though and even some quiet moments when the family is fed and can rest comfortably together in the various safe houses their Pastor and other “brokers” have arranged for them. This is probably the biggest message of the film: It is possible to find life outside of a highly oppressive society even if it requires facing almost insurmountable odds to achieve it.
Gavin has made a valuable and educational film that is riveting for much of its running time.
Beyond Utopia is currently short listed for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. It begins playing on PBS’s Independent Lens series today.
FILM: BEYOND UTOPIA
DIRECTED BY: MADELEINE GAVIN
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
With tensions building throughout the Middle East, the Russian-Ukraine border, and right here in the U.S., it’s hard to imagine that there could be even more suffering in the world that isn’t regularly reported. However, the documentary Beyond Utopia explores the harrowing journeys many people from North Korea endure as they attempt to escape and find freedom from their highly restrictive country. The risks associated with leaving are incredibly great: from threats of being tortured or murdered to traveling on terrain that is filled with potentially severe hazards.
Filmmaker Madeleine Gavin explores a few case studies to illustrate the deeply disturbing situation many of these refugees find themselves in. She includes hidden camera footage following a family attempting to escape to freedom in Thailand, a defector who exposes what real life is like in North Korea, and a mother waiting for some positive word on the status of her son whom she’s not seen in ten years. The first of these is particularly tension filled because the family is given constant warnings about the dangers that lie ahead, including the difficulty of crossing through jungles and rivers and the possible threats to their own safety. We see the footage as it is occurring as they make their way on the treacherous journey. Gavin also provides plenty of testimonies about the landmines between North and South Korea making that an impossible route. We also learn about the close ties North Korea has to China, Vietnam, and Laos that makes the stakes even higher for the family as they travel through those countries. They could be returned and severely punished or killed if caught.
The other interviewees offer special insight into life in North Korea with emphasis on the lack of freedom and ability to communicate with the outside world. It’s interesting to hear the rhetoric they are taught about Americans, which the government tells them are evil killers and “bastards” who start wars. Gavin also includes discussions about the history of the Koreas, their war in the 1950s, and their general cultural differences. According to the film, the government of North Korea is more interested in their nuclear program than in their people and Kim Jong-Un is considered their God. Even some of the members of the defecting family can’t shake this idea, which they’ve been brainwashed to believe.
Some of this, of course, might be known to anyone who follows recent or current history. However, Gavin’s approach to the material is particularly informative and concise. It’s also filled with chilling, tension filled original music that creates an air of utter suspense and a feeling for the high stakes experienced by North Korean citizens and possible defectors.
There is some hope here though and even some quiet moments when the family is fed and can rest comfortably together in the various safe houses their Pastor and other “brokers” have arranged for them. This is probably the biggest message of the film: It is possible to find life outside of a highly oppressive society even if it requires facing almost insurmountable odds to achieve it.
Gavin has made a valuable and educational film that is riveting for much of its running time.
Beyond Utopia is currently short listed for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. It begins playing on PBS’s Independent Lens series today.