The Lovers and the Despot (PG.)
Directed by Ross Adam, Robert Cannan.
Featuring Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok. 96 mins
Movie buffs are generally not the type of person one wants to associate with, on account of them of them being a bit nerdy and not comfortable in social situation. This principle is perfectly exemplify by history's most fanatical film buff, Kim Jong-il. The communist equivalent of Little Lord Fauntleroy, he grew up in seclusion, not allowed to play with other children as he was groomed for dictatorship and in such a bubble he instinctively turned to the movies for inspiration. So while he was still waiting to become the Dear Leader he kidnapped the south's most famous star and director to make film's for him.
That's the thing about North Korea; its isolation has allowed it to go so thoroughly off its chump that you can more or less make up anything about it and get it printed in the media. Only a few weeks ago the media ran straight faced with the North Korea bans sarcasm story. This story has become something of an urban legend and the film tries to give you the truth behind the story, or at least the truth within stated margins of error. That South Korea's most famous film star, Choi Eun-hee was kidnapped by North Korean agents in Hong Kong in 1978 is generally accepted to have happened; whether her then estranged husband Shin Sang-ok, a film director whose career was in the doldrums, was also kidnapped or chose voluntarily to go, is still unclear.
This documentary offers a relatively straightforward account told through talking heads, primarily Choi Eun-hee herself, archive footage, re-enactments and the tape recording they made while they were there. They eventually managed to escape to the west in 1986 but not after making lots of films for Kim, and the taint of collaboration was never wholly lifted from them, or the family that were left behind in the South.
It's a fascinating story and the film delivers it well enough. You may sense that bigger issue have gone untouched. The best part is the brief diversion into Kim Jong-il freakish childhood, his every whim attended to alone in a great big mansion. You don't though really get a fix on the couple themselves. Ironically, Shin's career had crashed in the South because he had fallen foul of military dictatorship that was in control there at the time and had closed his studio. Once they had been persuaded to go along Kim Jong-il's plan they had almost unlimited resources at their disposal. Somewhere in here might there be a great satire about the self delusions and compromises artistic people will make to get ahead?
Directed by Ross Adam, Robert Cannan.
Featuring Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok. 96 mins
Movie buffs are generally not the type of person one wants to associate with, on account of them of them being a bit nerdy and not comfortable in social situation. This principle is perfectly exemplify by history's most fanatical film buff, Kim Jong-il. The communist equivalent of Little Lord Fauntleroy, he grew up in seclusion, not allowed to play with other children as he was groomed for dictatorship and in such a bubble he instinctively turned to the movies for inspiration. So while he was still waiting to become the Dear Leader he kidnapped the south's most famous star and director to make film's for him.
That's the thing about North Korea; its isolation has allowed it to go so thoroughly off its chump that you can more or less make up anything about it and get it printed in the media. Only a few weeks ago the media ran straight faced with the North Korea bans sarcasm story. This story has become something of an urban legend and the film tries to give you the truth behind the story, or at least the truth within stated margins of error. That South Korea's most famous film star, Choi Eun-hee was kidnapped by North Korean agents in Hong Kong in 1978 is generally accepted to have happened; whether her then estranged husband Shin Sang-ok, a film director whose career was in the doldrums, was also kidnapped or chose voluntarily to go, is still unclear.
This documentary offers a relatively straightforward account told through talking heads, primarily Choi Eun-hee herself, archive footage, re-enactments and the tape recording they made while they were there. They eventually managed to escape to the west in 1986 but not after making lots of films for Kim, and the taint of collaboration was never wholly lifted from them, or the family that were left behind in the South.
It's a fascinating story and the film delivers it well enough. You may sense that bigger issue have gone untouched. The best part is the brief diversion into Kim Jong-il freakish childhood, his every whim attended to alone in a great big mansion. You don't though really get a fix on the couple themselves. Ironically, Shin's career had crashed in the South because he had fallen foul of military dictatorship that was in control there at the time and had closed his studio. Once they had been persuaded to go along Kim Jong-il's plan they had almost unlimited resources at their disposal. Somewhere in here might there be a great satire about the self delusions and compromises artistic people will make to get ahead?
