Former Great Leader of North Korea,
Kim Jong Il was a
noted cinephile with a personal video library of over 20,000 movies. In 1970, he said
"The motion picture industry, when dealing with the socialist reality, has not yet reached the standard set by our Party." To help it reach the standard, the Dear Leader wrote a treatise
On the Art of the Cinema (PDF), took an interest in minute details of film production (as recounted by
film stars), revamped the
Taedongmun Cinema House, and kidnapped a director (previously
1,
2.)
But did this lead to better movies?....
[more inside]
posted by twoleftfeet
on May 10, 2013 -
11 comments
Shin Sang-ok (1926 - 2006) was a Korean movie writer, director and producer, who studied film in Japan and returned to South Korea, where he gained fame and became the
uncontested leader of the film industry in the 1960s, in a time when regulations on the industry limited other studios. In the 1970s under the
Fourth Republic of South Korea, the film industry was even further limited, which lead to Shin's studio being closed. Things went from bad to worse, when
"the Orson Welles of South Korea" was kidnapped by request of Kim Jong Il, the son of North Korea's dictator, Kim Il Sung. The reason? Kim Jong Il wanted the nation's film industry to promote the virtues of the Korea Workers' Party to a world-wide audience. After being imprisoned for four years, Shin was reunited with his ex-wife (who was also a captive of North Korea) and the given relative freedom, producing seven films in North Korea. While setting up a distribution deal to share Kim Jong Il's vision with a broader audience for a Godzilla-like monster movie, Shin and his wife escaped and sought political asylum in the United States. Their freedom was possible because of that last film for Kim, entitled
Pulgasari. But Shin's life in movies was not over yet.
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Aug 5, 2010 -
14 comments
Kim Jong Il (the illmatic)'s LiveJournal
3:39 am Dear diary. Bush still doesn’t ‘get it.’ I tried making my feelings clear but he’s too busy ignoring me, he is such a jerk. Everything in his life is just Saddam, Saddam, Saddam and I am sick of it.
On the plus side, I think my hair looked pretty good today. Also I went frolicking at Paektu Mountain and the rainbow came out again. After dinner some of my subjects sang me a song because I invented Outer Space.
posted by woj
on Mar 27, 2003 -
20 comments
Japanese
abducted by North Korea in Japan for brief visit.
After many years of denying accusations, North Korea finally came clean last month and admitted to
having kidnapped a number of Japanese civilians. Of the thirteen they admit to abducting, they say
only five are still alive, and these five have been allowed a visit to Japan this week. On a less
encouraging note, however, the five survivors were not allowed to bring their children or spouses and
arrived donning pins bearing an image of the Great Leader.
Is Kim Jong Il genuinely
turning over a new leaf, is this just another part of a heartless
cash grab scheme, or did the "axis of
evil" speech
intimidate
them into softening up for a moment?
posted by shoos
on Oct 16, 2002 -
22 comments
If this little man with the funny haircut has the courage to abandon the policies of his father, there is a chance within three years to witness one of the greatest triumphs of human spirit in recent memory.
posted by netbros
on Jun 16, 2000 -
3 comments
'A Model of Loyalty and Filial Devotion. An Outstanding Statesman. Great Leader of the People and Theoretician. Outstanding Representative of Independent Politics.' No. It's not me. It's
Comrade Kim Il Jong - His Life and Mission. Read the Commie bunk the Reds are pushing on their people.
posted by tdecius
on Sep 17, 1999 -
0 comments
