State of the Mind
The BBC gets unprecedented access into the
cult of personality that is North Korea
North Korea, one of the most isolated nations in
the world, and subject to scorn for pursuing its nuclear program, is the subject
of the fascinating new documentary "State of Mind," which follows the lives of
two young girl gymnastsho who participate in North Korea's "Mass Games," a
gigantic cultural festival of sorts that celebrates submitting individuality to
the collective, and hoping to please the dear leaders--Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong
Il. One of them died 11 years ago but it doesn't matter. North Korea's communism
has completely morphed into a cult of
personality.
Living in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, is a priviledge, and both girls' families know it. The society is split into three classes: Workers, peasants, and intellectuals. One girl's father is a physicist and the other's is a worker. They live in a nice apartments furnished by the state. A radio in the kitchen spews propaganda constantly. Only the volume can be controlled; it can never be turned off. For those priveliged enough to have a TV, there are five hours on one channel extoling the virtues of the country and of the leaders.
What's completely fascinating is that these girls are completely indoctrinated. Everything bad that ever happens is attributed to the U.S. The Korean War in the 1950s saw some of the worst destruction the country has ever seen and that has worked in the two Kims' favor ever since.
What we don't see, however, is the repression of dissenters. We don't see dissenters. But the film presents such an amazing amount of information about how well controlled the average North Korean is, it almost doesn't matter that we are not seeing the other side.
The girls are happy. They have no reason to feel otherwise. They work tirelessly at practicing their gymnastic routines, all in the hope that the General will see them. The family structure of Korean society is superimposed over the entire nation here. It doesn't matter whether or not Father shows up; the main thing is that you did everything you could to please him.
[Seen at Film Forum.]
Living in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, is a priviledge, and both girls' families know it. The society is split into three classes: Workers, peasants, and intellectuals. One girl's father is a physicist and the other's is a worker. They live in a nice apartments furnished by the state. A radio in the kitchen spews propaganda constantly. Only the volume can be controlled; it can never be turned off. For those priveliged enough to have a TV, there are five hours on one channel extoling the virtues of the country and of the leaders.
What's completely fascinating is that these girls are completely indoctrinated. Everything bad that ever happens is attributed to the U.S. The Korean War in the 1950s saw some of the worst destruction the country has ever seen and that has worked in the two Kims' favor ever since.
What we don't see, however, is the repression of dissenters. We don't see dissenters. But the film presents such an amazing amount of information about how well controlled the average North Korean is, it almost doesn't matter that we are not seeing the other side.
The girls are happy. They have no reason to feel otherwise. They work tirelessly at practicing their gymnastic routines, all in the hope that the General will see them. The family structure of Korean society is superimposed over the entire nation here. It doesn't matter whether or not Father shows up; the main thing is that you did everything you could to please him.
[Seen at Film Forum.]
Posted: Wed - November 2, 2005 at 01:14 PM
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