The U.S. State Department held a documentary on North Korean defectors ‘Beyond Utopia’ at the government building on the 19th. Screening

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-hyun = The U.S. State Department will screen the documentary ‘Beyond Utopia’, which deals with the difficult process of North Korean defection, on the 19th (local time).

‘Beyond Utopia’ is a documentary that vividly captures two cases of North Korean defection that occurred just before COVID-19.

It depicts the story of two families, one that involved three generations escaping together, and the story of a mother trying to bring her North Korean son back to South Korea.

Most of the scenes of escaping over Mt. Baekdu and through the jungles of Vietnam and Laos were filmed by North Korean defectors and brokers using cell phone cameras.

Dr. Sumi Terry, a Korean Peninsula expert who worked at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the White House National Security Council (NSC), participated as a co-producer.

Beyond Utopia won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in January last year, and was selected as one of the preliminary nominees in the feature-length documentary category for the Academy Awards to be held in March.

The screening held at the State Department building in Washington DC will be attended by Julie Turner, the State Department’s special envoy for North Korean human rights, and Lee Shin-hwa, the South Korean government’s ambassador for international cooperation on North Korean human rights.

Previously, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs also held a screening with about 100 employees in attendance at its office building in Jongno-gu, Seoul in November last year in order to increase understanding of the North Korean defection issue.

bluekey@yna.co.kr

▶ Report via KakaoTalk okjebo