North Korea’s Hollywood? The Weird World of North Korean Film and Behind the Scenes Film Studios 🍿🎞
Film in North Korea and North Korean cinema has always played a big role, with both Kim Il Sung and second leader Kim Jong Il being known film-fanatics.
This video looks at all things North Korea film, including a background on the North Korean film industry, some of the best (and worst) films, a walk around the film studios AND a cool new project with North Korea's most famous actors and actresses...
00:00 Chapters:
Background on North Korean film (02:36)
Famous North Korean films (03:28)
Cinema inside North Korea (09:12)
Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF) (12:15)
North Korean Film Studios (14:10)
North Korean Film Posters (16:09)
North Korean Film Star Project (17:25)
Enjoy, and don’t forget to post any questions or comments below!
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Thanks to my Patrons Clark, James, Charles and Alex.
Become a Patron:
Thanks to Koryo Tours & Studio for use of their images, videos, and information.
Music: Arirang, instrumental version
LINKS
New DPRK Film -
https://www.nknews.org/2022/04/north-korea-debuts-first-new-film-in-5-years-to-fight-anti-party-thought/
Film Star Photography -
https://koryostudio.com/purchase/photography/film-stars
https://koryogroup.com/blog/shooting-north-korean-film-stars-with-love
Film Studios -
https://koryogroup.com/travel-guide/north-korea-guide-korean-art-film-studio
https://koryogroup.com/travel-guide/april-25th-film-studio-north-korea-travel-guide
Pyongyang Film Festival -
https://koryostudio.com/blog/pyongyang-international-film-festival
Cinemas in Pyongyang -
https://koryogroup.com/travel-guide/yanggakdo-international-cinema-north-korea-travel-guide
Watch Comrade Kim Goes Flying -
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/comradekimgoesflying
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--Famous North Korean Films
-My Hometown 내 고향 (03:28)
-Flower Girl 꽃파는처녀 (04:10)
-Comrade Kim Goes Flying (06:05)
-Pulgasari (06:31)
- A Day and a Night / New film release 2022 (07:42)
--CINEMA IN NORTH KOREA
Taedongmun Cinema was the first cinema in North Korea, completed in 1955, and seen as an important part of the post-war building.
One of the biggest and most well-known is the Yanggakdo International Cinema.
This massive cinema is situated on Yanggak Island, just next to the famous Yanggkdo Hotel, and was completed in 1989 and renovated in 2018.
There’s also a 3D cinema you can visit located in North Korea’s North East region Rason with a bizarre selection of films to choose from.
-- Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF)
This film festival is usually held annually, and filmmakers from around the globe can enter their films into the festival.
The PIFF opening ceremony is held in the Yanggakdo International Cinema. It is possible for foreigners to attend this, although special permission is needed. There are then various films shown throughout the days during the festival in multiple locations in Pyongyang. Tickets are often well sought-after and cinemas are often packed full- so you have to make sure to book a ticket well in advance.
--NORTH KOREA Film Studios
-April 25th
The April 25th Film Studio is named after the foundation day of the Korean People’s Army; so, naturally, a lot of its films are concentrated heavily on military and war themes.
The site was constructed in the early 1960s and has since produced a greta number of films.
-Pyongyang Film Studio
The studio was founded in 1947 and covers an area of over 1 million m². It is the DPRK’s number one film studio, having produced hundreds of hits.
Traditionally films produced here have focused on a number of genres: traditional Korean stories, the anti-Japanese struggle both in Korea and Manchuria, the Korean War, and contemporary socialist-style dramas. In recent years, the production of films has slown down, with shifts towards serial productons for television.
Inside the North Korean Film Studio grounds, there are various sets for you to explore. Once more, you’re taking a step back in time as you visit sets that are made to mimic streets of years ago. These sets are meant to approximate colonial-era Korea and South Korea, Manchuria in the 1930's, imperial Japan, and some generic western country
--Film Posters
Over the years, artists from the film studio were instructed to paint advertisements and hoardings to make the sets look realistic and to create a North Korean view of foreign street scenes.
These Korean artists would have had no direct experience of these places and would have drawn their inspiration from photographs..
--NEW North Korea Project
Photographer Kim Gwang Song arranged the shoot in 2021 at the Pyongyang Film Studio. The featured performers were taken to the film studio and reunited with cinematographers and directors who had worked on some of their most famous and well-regarded films.
These actors and actresses are very famous in North Korea - absolute stars. So for them to take part in this project is super cool!
#northkorea #pyongyangfilmstudios #northkoreanfilm