IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
A propaganda documentary about North Korea that reveals a few hidden facts because the director continues filming between the scripted scenes.A propaganda documentary about North Korea that reveals a few hidden facts because the director continues filming between the scripted scenes.A propaganda documentary about North Korea that reveals a few hidden facts because the director continues filming between the scripted scenes.
- Awards
- 12 wins & 10 nominations
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- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Crazy creditsThe script of this film was assigned to us by the North Korean SOE. They also kindly provided us with an around the clock escort service, chose our filming locations and looked over all the footage we shot to make sure that we did not make any mistakes in showing the life of a perfectly ordinary family in the best country in the world, with a daughter preparing to join the Children's Union - her first step on the way to becoming a part of the system dreamed by the Great Kim Il-Sung.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Eshenepozner: Vitaly Mansky (2020)
Featured review
An extraordinary look of what happens when 1984 becomes a reality
A foreign crew is somehow given permission to shoot in North Korea. The term "documentary" is a bit far-fetch here, since everything is actually staged by an escort crew that supervises, scripts, directs and rehearses every scene being filmed.
If you want to see what George Orwell's NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR would look like if it became real life, watch this documentary.
Watching it, I got strong vibes of movies such as EQUILIBRIUM, METROPOLIS, SLEEPER and THE PRISONER. Basically, every movie which depicts life in a state of dictatorship becomes a reality here and Orwell's book is the bible. All the elements from his book can be found here: Pictures of the leader at every corner, a constant state of war with military at every corner and as the center of every class in school, brainwashing the minds of people since an early age and basically turning them into human robots that would obey everything they are being told to do and learning how to hate the Japanese and Americans, production is always told to be getting "more efficient", TV constantly broadcasts programs about the leader, his military and war, and you hardly see anyone smiling.
This is life in a constant state of fear and it's a living nightmare.
The movie is far from perfect – many scenes are way too long and repetitive, tighter editing could have made wonders here – but its value lies in the achievement of showing a surreal regime that is almost impossible to believe that still exists in the 21st century and showing how "reality" can easily be fabricated.
Good cinematography and excellent musical cues by Karlis Auzans.
6.5/10 Highly recommended
If you want to see what George Orwell's NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR would look like if it became real life, watch this documentary.
Watching it, I got strong vibes of movies such as EQUILIBRIUM, METROPOLIS, SLEEPER and THE PRISONER. Basically, every movie which depicts life in a state of dictatorship becomes a reality here and Orwell's book is the bible. All the elements from his book can be found here: Pictures of the leader at every corner, a constant state of war with military at every corner and as the center of every class in school, brainwashing the minds of people since an early age and basically turning them into human robots that would obey everything they are being told to do and learning how to hate the Japanese and Americans, production is always told to be getting "more efficient", TV constantly broadcasts programs about the leader, his military and war, and you hardly see anyone smiling.
This is life in a constant state of fear and it's a living nightmare.
The movie is far from perfect – many scenes are way too long and repetitive, tighter editing could have made wonders here – but its value lies in the achievement of showing a surreal regime that is almost impossible to believe that still exists in the 21st century and showing how "reality" can easily be fabricated.
Good cinematography and excellent musical cues by Karlis Auzans.
6.5/10 Highly recommended
helpful•1913
- room102
- Sep 20, 2016
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Under solen
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- €390,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $105,036
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $15,454
- Jul 10, 2016
- Gross worldwide
- $305,993
- Runtime1 hour 46 minutes
- Color
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