The short film is essentially about three men, travelling to North Korea in order to perform a skit for the Korean people. They're comedians, and intend to perform something that's famous in Denmark; or more accurately, a number of disjointed skits they pass as a show.
The film is therefore about these individuals putting on a show; more than about the show itself.
As per usual I have many criticisms about the film; ranging from the integrity of portrayals, especially of their personal consort (a ms. Pak), to the manner in which the crew have taken to the task of filming.
The portrayals are skewed because of the directors perogative, he overlays a lot of her speech with biased views, going so far as to voice her views for her. He even makes excuses as to why she might be so bold as to cry at a communist monument. What she says, and his interpretation, vary to such an extent that it becomes something of a mockery of the idea of documentary itself. I'm sure the director is more intelligent than he lets on. Flaunting documentary protocol in such a manner has an obvious purpose, and one that he comments on himself, using one of their crew as much for propogandist anti-Korean purposes, as the North Koreans want to use him themselves.
In summary it's an entirely orchestrated ruse, both attempting to fool the North Koreans, as one would expect, but also to fool the audience. This film is as much documentary as 'the office,' might be considered to be. It does afford an insight into a world I have literally never seen before though, and I'm amazed they pulled it off - so to speak.
You can catch it on BBC Iplayer right now. Go Go!
You can catch it on BBC Iplayer right now. Go Go!
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