This film is pointless for anyone besides those interested in studying North Korean propaganda. It is devoid of all merit and worth apart from emphasizing loyalty to the North Korean state in general and Kim Jong-il in particular.
The plot is basically that a young girl hates her father because she thinks that he has abandoned his family and traditional fatherly duties in the service of the state. Finally, through events depicted in the film she comes to realize that dedication to the state is a virtue, and she cannot wait until she gets an opportunity to dedicate herself to the state in pursuit of glory for the Glorious North Korean People.
The 'climax' of the film, if it is deserving of that term, is when Su-ryeon visits her dad's factory only to see him in a mechanic's uniform (remember Kim Jong-Il's fashion sense), apparently taking orders from a junior, female scientist. Her world is shattered, but it soon turns out that her father is such a genius that he not only develops bold new theories, but also constantly engages himself with the 'lower' workers through on-site inspections and guidance. And he's good at soccer! Everyone at the factory loves him.. they are like his second family! Su-ryeon loathes herself because she has been so selfish in wanting her father all to herself, when clearly many people rely on him! He's not bad for leaving his family alone to cope with their everyday 'annoyances' - she is bad for not understanding his world. This man is so selfless he doesn't even care for his cancer riddled wife lying in a state hospital; he is way too busy developing a computerized control system for his factory in order to give the workers more free time.
What an utterly revolting, filthy piece of Paternal-Fascist propaganda. It is clear that the girl represents the average North Korean (too naive and innocent to understand the 'real world') that may be upset with the Kim regime's bumbling maladministration of that county. Of course, the absentee father is Kim Jong-il! He is tirelessly working for the advancement of all people, not just the Koreans, but the world! How dare these people trouble him with trifling problems like, I don't know, human rights, daily struggles, the desires for love and recognition, or even if they are suffering from a terminal disease? These peasants should be grateful for such a wonderful leader that everybody loves! Why, they should even aspire to be just like him!
There is humor to be found, albeit unintentional, as one scene features shoddy electrical wiring resulting in a TV catching on fire. The grandmother living with the family puts it out with a bucket of water. Another scene shows a hastily constructed 'PC Lab' that is clearly a couple of computers placed on the table in a government boardroom. They are always shot from the back,and the sound effects played over them are clearly sounds from computers from the 1980's - they are not even turned on.
In the final analysis, one should treat this movie as if it were Samsung stock on the eve of a North Korean rocket launch, in other words; don't touch it with a 100ft bargepole.
PS. Clearly, the person who responded to my review is not familiar with the guiding principles of North Korean cinema as laid out by Kim Jong Il in the 1960's and 1970's, and crystalized in his 1978 book 'On the Art of the Cinema'. This ideology holds that to make a movie, it must aid and advance the tenets of the Juche (self reliance of North Koreans) policy, and devotion to the state. A movie cannot be released, approved or conceptualized in North Korea if it fails to meet this standard. In other words, movies are propaganda - the meta-story is what is important in North Korean films, and it is this thread that I take issue with; the French people who backed this movie for international release, and the other reviewers seem blissfully unaware of this cut and dry fact.
The plot is basically that a young girl hates her father because she thinks that he has abandoned his family and traditional fatherly duties in the service of the state. Finally, through events depicted in the film she comes to realize that dedication to the state is a virtue, and she cannot wait until she gets an opportunity to dedicate herself to the state in pursuit of glory for the Glorious North Korean People.
The 'climax' of the film, if it is deserving of that term, is when Su-ryeon visits her dad's factory only to see him in a mechanic's uniform (remember Kim Jong-Il's fashion sense), apparently taking orders from a junior, female scientist. Her world is shattered, but it soon turns out that her father is such a genius that he not only develops bold new theories, but also constantly engages himself with the 'lower' workers through on-site inspections and guidance. And he's good at soccer! Everyone at the factory loves him.. they are like his second family! Su-ryeon loathes herself because she has been so selfish in wanting her father all to herself, when clearly many people rely on him! He's not bad for leaving his family alone to cope with their everyday 'annoyances' - she is bad for not understanding his world. This man is so selfless he doesn't even care for his cancer riddled wife lying in a state hospital; he is way too busy developing a computerized control system for his factory in order to give the workers more free time.
What an utterly revolting, filthy piece of Paternal-Fascist propaganda. It is clear that the girl represents the average North Korean (too naive and innocent to understand the 'real world') that may be upset with the Kim regime's bumbling maladministration of that county. Of course, the absentee father is Kim Jong-il! He is tirelessly working for the advancement of all people, not just the Koreans, but the world! How dare these people trouble him with trifling problems like, I don't know, human rights, daily struggles, the desires for love and recognition, or even if they are suffering from a terminal disease? These peasants should be grateful for such a wonderful leader that everybody loves! Why, they should even aspire to be just like him!
There is humor to be found, albeit unintentional, as one scene features shoddy electrical wiring resulting in a TV catching on fire. The grandmother living with the family puts it out with a bucket of water. Another scene shows a hastily constructed 'PC Lab' that is clearly a couple of computers placed on the table in a government boardroom. They are always shot from the back,and the sound effects played over them are clearly sounds from computers from the 1980's - they are not even turned on.
In the final analysis, one should treat this movie as if it were Samsung stock on the eve of a North Korean rocket launch, in other words; don't touch it with a 100ft bargepole.
PS. Clearly, the person who responded to my review is not familiar with the guiding principles of North Korean cinema as laid out by Kim Jong Il in the 1960's and 1970's, and crystalized in his 1978 book 'On the Art of the Cinema'. This ideology holds that to make a movie, it must aid and advance the tenets of the Juche (self reliance of North Koreans) policy, and devotion to the state. A movie cannot be released, approved or conceptualized in North Korea if it fails to meet this standard. In other words, movies are propaganda - the meta-story is what is important in North Korean films, and it is this thread that I take issue with; the French people who backed this movie for international release, and the other reviewers seem blissfully unaware of this cut and dry fact.