North Korea is the most fascinating country on the planet. Its inner workings are mysterious. Millions of its population literally live in labor or prison camps. And its citizens are so isolated from the rest of the world they have literally no comprehension of how skewed their reality is. In the rare cases when individuals are able to escape, South Korea literally runs them through a multi-month acclimation program so that they can function–and even then, the success rates aren’t particularly high.
I’m captivated by North Korea, and have been since I read “Escape from Camp 14,” a breathtaking account of one man’s dire struggle to survive.
Needless to say, the documentary Beyond Utopia struck a chord with me. The film is at once an examination of North Korea’s control of its population and a true-life chronicle of a family of five that travels a thousand miles to get to safety.
With a camera crew along for the ride, director Madeleine Gavin follows one man who has dedicated his life to helping North Koreans escape as he attempts to get this family to safety. And their safety isn’t a sure thing: they–a husband, wife, two young daughters, and an 80-year-old grandmother–have to travel through multiple communist countries–China, Vietnam, and Laos–to get to Thailand (nearly 5,000 kilometers!). It’s a harrowing experience captured on film, an incredible feat that deserves to be seen.
If anything, I would have loved for Gavin to spend more time getting to know the family, to better understand their dynamic, their motivations, and their understanding of what the truth is.
Regardless, Beyond Utopia is the type of documentary that stays with you. Highly recommended.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.