Educational Media Reviews Online

In 2004, Dutch filmmaker Pieter Fleury got to document the lives of residents of North Korea for a day. He shot footage of North Koreans at home, work, and school. The resulting video provides a glimpse into a country much in the news of late, but still mysterious.

News reports have focused on North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his absolute control over the country. His dominance is certainly brought out in this video. Kim’s picture is seen everywhere, not just in public spaces and buildings, but also factories and homes. A giant outdoor statue of him is on view, and he is on television constantly. Koreans heard in the video always refer to him as “the Great Leader Kim Jong Il.”

We see a schoolteacher telling students “The Story of the Returned Boots,” in which the young Kim takes off the warm boots he treasures on a snowy day because he sees all the other children have on sneakers that don’t protect against the damp. To show solidarity, Kim too puts on the inadequate footwear.

Another thing that comes out clearly is the anti-American indoctrination of the residents. A coat factory is seen losing electric power, and the blackout (apparently a frequent occurrence) is blamed on American imperialism. A man boasts he has taught his granddaughter the phrase “kill the American dogs” and his daughter-in-law says she has learned from him “how bad and how cruel those American dogs were for our people” during the Korean War. She adds, “We must do everything to destroy all American monsters, everywhere.” But despite the hatred of the U.S., North Koreans adults are shown in a class learning English.

The video has no narration, so background information and context that could enrich our understanding is lost. And certainly there was no chance to show any dissident voices, since, as the credits say, the video was made “under the guidance” of the North Korean Ministry of Culture. But this “day in the life” does provide a snapshot of a country that could be in the news for some time to come.