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IMDb > Songhwan (2003)

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Overview

User Rating:
8.6/10   74 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Dong-won Kim (writer)
Release Date:
4 March 2006 (Japan) more
Genre:
Plot:
North Korean spies return to their homeland. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Powerful and inspiring portrait of Corean society more (1 total)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Repatriation (International: English title)
more
Runtime:
149 min | Argentina:149 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)
Language:
Color:
Filming Locations:

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Powerful and inspiring portrait of Corean society, 3 February 2007
10/10
Author: J Chang from United States

This was an amazing documentary. Maybe it was because of the subject matter and the open honesty with which director Kim Dong-won presents his work. He has no problem making himself an active participant in his work and almost turns it into a video diary, with his running monologue.

I really liked it a lot and the film spoke a lot to the problems of ideology, the power of faith and the depravity of society. I think the best part of this film was that director Kim was unafraid to show himself in it and get reflexive from time to time. In fact, it made it more honest, instead of pretending that the camera isn't there. I can see why he's a respected documentary filmmaker.

After this film, I got a chance to ask director Kim about a few of the film-making-related issues that I saw come up in his film. But I got so caught up in the film, to be honest, I forgot to ask whether or not it would be available on DVD! I left the theater with my heart and my mind racing. I felt inspired. I was reminded again why I wanted to make movies and that it was entirely both plausible and possible to do it. I feel so inspired and impassioned that it's like I'm in love. And I want to run across the world with a camera in my hand! So, it was a really powerful movie and it's really hard to find in the US so catch it if you see it. Recommended. 10/10.

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Related Links

Full cast and crew External reviews IMDb Documentary section
IMDb North Korea section Add this title to MyMovies

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