THE LOVERS AND THE DESPOT is an intriguing documentary that shines a light on an unexplored aspect of North Korea: the country's entertainment industry. The true story that it tells is so bizarre that it feels fictional in itself; North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was so fed up with the films being made by his country that he kidnapped a director and star that he admired from South Korea and forced them to make films in his own country.
I've seen one such film, the notorious monster flick PULGASARI, so I had some knowledge of this tale, but it still proves to be entertaining viewing. It's the usual mix of interview footage mixed with decent material from the era; particularly interesting is the audio footage of Jong-il himself, giving a glimpse into a mindset so often alien to the West. Some clips from the films in question are fun, but of course as a film fan I would have preferred to see more.
I've seen one such film, the notorious monster flick PULGASARI, so I had some knowledge of this tale, but it still proves to be entertaining viewing. It's the usual mix of interview footage mixed with decent material from the era; particularly interesting is the audio footage of Jong-il himself, giving a glimpse into a mindset so often alien to the West. Some clips from the films in question are fun, but of course as a film fan I would have preferred to see more.