The Reel Review
Documentarian Ann Shin risks arrest by Chinese authorities by entering the extraordinary, secret world of a broker, Dragon, who has smuggled dozens of North Korean defectors out of China, this particular mission coinciding with the 2011 death of dictator Kim Jong Il. The film tracks the defectors’ nerve wracking journey across China (where the vast majority of female North Korean defectors are sold into marriages), and again rejoins them after their harrowing trek through the dangerous jungles of Laos and northern Thailand. The film includes the tremendous heartache defectors face over leaving loved ones in North Korea and the anxiety over starting over in unfamiliar new home countries, but is scant on detail, skips over the juicy parts, and leaves unanswered many important questions, like what happens to captured defectors and their families back home. Even so, this is an exceptionally rare, important and fascinating glimpse inside the bleak world of North Korean defectors. Well done.
Video & Photo
