Songs From the North

North Korea is an enigma: everyone has heard of it, but few in the West have ever seen it. Filmmaker Soon-Mi Yoo made three visits to the country, stitching together her footage with ample chunks of North Korean film and TV productions to offer here a startling view of a nation that seems to exist in a parallel universe. Thanks to the oddball Kim dynasty that has ruled North Korea since its creation in the aftermath of World War II, the country appears stuck in an endless rehash of Cold War battles. Popular culture and museums obsess over the invasion by the U.S. military during the Korean War, absurdly lavishing praise on Kim Il-sung for saving the country from Uncle Sam's imperialism. But as filmmaker Yoo cogently observes, North Korea only has myths but no history to embrace. There is no celebration of pre-war Korea, nor any contemporary cultural voices that offer anything but praise for the government. Yoo's camera finds a bizarre environment where grand highways and avenues are absent of vehicles, and sweeping plazas stand virtually vacant. Few North Koreans are comfortable with being filmed, and only the entreaties of a friendly group of schoolchildren here offers evidence of universal behavior. A fascinating film that lends insight into the least understood of Asian nations, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)