N. Korean movie to be shown at Hawaii, Wisconsin film festivals

A North Korean movie that has made its debut in the United States last month will be shown at two more film festivals in the United States, a media report said Saturday.

The romantic comedy made jointly by North Korean, British and Belgian film producers has been invited to the Hawaii and Wisconsin film events slated for April, Radio Free Asia said.

The movie is set and filmed in Pyongyang, and portrays the life of Kim Yong-mi, a 28-year-old coal miner, who overcomes hardships to fulfill her dream of becoming a trapeze artist.

The film has generated attention because it shows the “lighter” side of life in the isolated country that has drawn international attention for defying warnings by the United Nations and other countries by detonating a nuclear device on Feb. 12. The country has also warned it will use its nuclear deterrence if it is threatened by outside aggressors.

The movie, meanwhile, was first shown at the Miami International Film Festival from Feb. 8-9 and at the Center for Asian American Media festival held in San Francisco.

It was first shown overseas in Canada during the 37th Toronto International Film Festival last September and at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in October in Busan, South Korea. (Yonhap News)