A German documentarian navigates the surreal world of North Korea's Pyongyang Film Festival, shedding light on the secretive regime through his personal journey.
beat sheet
Director Martin Hans Schmit's first encounter with North Korean cinema came through the classic monster film 'Pulgasari', sparking his interest in the country's film industry and leading him to the exclusive Pyongyang Film Festival.
While Schmit's documentary provides a valuable insider's perspective on daily life in North Korea, his experimental narrative choices, like psychedelic interludes and a 'film-within-a-film', sometimes undermine the cohesiveness of the overall story.
call sheet
Martin Hans Schmit, Pyongyang Film Festival, Pulgasari