North Korea Documented

Great and very unique documentary by Danish absurdist Mads Brügger (be sure to check out his other works). He and his avant-garde theater group proposes to the North Koreans to perform in Pyongyang and surprisingly they allow the Danish bunch to come over, including a handicapped boy. Brügger's exploration and testing of the regime delivers not only interesting insights in the acting of the regime but also very entertaining television.

Another stunning piece by Mads Brügger, exposing more evidence that the state of North Korea practically is a mafia organization.

Dutch documentary maker Hans van Dijk has the chance to join North Korea's Friendship Association, a North Korea fanclub run by the Spanish Alejandro Cao de Benos who is an official promoter for North Korea. The mixed group of international North Korea-friends commence their trip convinced of North Korean socialism bringing great prosperity to its people, however during the trip they get confronted by a ran down regime which forcibly keeps up appearances and even utilizes the foreign travelers to promote the leadership. Their belief breaks down even stronger when De Benos appears to be another North Korean-style leader of the group.

Stories of North Korean defectors about their experiences with the brutalities of the regime. Among them a North Korean defector who managed to escape one of the country's highly secured prison camps. Very well made documentary elaborating on the escape route from beginning to end, and on the never ceasing propaganda machine of the country.

Documentary makers follow the lives of a family living in Pyongyang. With no narration added, you can make up your own mind on the meaning of the images you see from the North Korean elite city.

Documented by the BBC, this is the amazing story of James Dresnock, an American soldier who defected to North Korea during his time as stationed in South Korea. Together with a few other Americans he defected to the North, at the time of making the documentary Dresnock is the only one who still lives his life peacefully in North Korea, together with his family. (He passed away in 2016)

North Korea welcomes Sanduk Ruit, a doctor from Laos. With his team he can cure many North Koreans suffering from blindness. The 'miracle doctor', as he is called, is managing to execute about 1000 eye surgeries in 10 days, but the North Koreans thank the Great Leader for the miracle, not the doctor...

Film student traveled to North Korea and was left with a lot of thoughts on what he saw, which he shares along a selection of his footage that he shot during his travel. Result is an originally cut report, free of strong biases or sensationalism. Watch the whole docu on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oULO3i5Xra0&hd=1

Great docu on the 1966 national soccer team of North Korea which travelled to the UK to compete in the World Cup for the first time. Nobody thought the team would win any game, but by beating Italy they made it into the quarter finals. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Du92VFNxWI&

Insights in how defectors have to manage in China and the international (mostly American) political efforts to support those who want to leave the dictatorship.

Lots of secret shot footage from North Korea, mostly of homeless children looking for food. The film also follows the efforts of a few orphans who undertake the plan to make the dangerous cross of the river to China.

Won an Emmy for best documentary. You can watch the full documentary here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ6E3cShcVU

Documentary that follows two young North Korean girls as they prepare for the Mass Games, the world's largest choreographed gymnastics performance. Good insight in the iron discipline of the hard training North Korean athletes.

Really bad piece of journalism from John Sweeney's Panorama. Lacks on any background knowledge of North Korea, sensationalizes things and also brought both North Korean people and visitors unnecessarily in danger by producing this sneakily.