I noticed this was playing on PBS just a day or so ago, and I saw it in the theaters so I decided not to watch it again because the film left such a mark on me. The story is about a mother and father in Japan whose young daughter was abducted and taken to North Korea to help teach Japanese. The film shows the struggle of the parents trying to find information on their child. What really grips you is the time factor. This did not happen in the new millennium, it happened a few decades ago. Not only do you feel the parent's torment, you become angry. You'll also find that others were abducted and many died young under mysterious circumstances. This is a very powerful film and it is not scripted, it is a documentary. It chronicles something I was not aware of. You may really hate North Korea after watching this, but I think you'll hate more that no answers (or, answers that sound like half-truths) are given. Maybe its hard to watch more than once, but you have to see it. When I watched it in the theater, my mouth was open and I was shaking my head, wanting to embrace the couple of then child. It'll move you. Its on the show "Independent Lens". Otherwise, rent or buy it. Its that good.
9 Reviews
A Nutshell Review: Abduction: The Megumi Yokata Story
DICK STEEL23 September 2007
In 1977, Megumi Yokota vanished without a trace. For 20 years her family had tried to search for an answer, but found nothing, until it was revealed that she was amongst those who were abducted by North Korean spies.
The screening today opened with a video address dated in August 2007 by her parents. In it, they shared their experience in dealing with the shock, their efforts, and of course, their steely resolve in hoping that their daughter will be returned to them one day. Containing an ode to Megumi, it was a relatively short video address, but one which I thought summarized the entire movie succinctly.
It's an understatement to say that kidnapping is terrible, for both the victim and the parents. But one done without a ransom provided, leaves little clues to the parents, and here, sparked off intense sorrow that I'm sure any parent can identify with - the love and effort in raising a child, now so suddenly taken away with you, with zero trace. There's absolutely nothing to fall back on - no motive, no eyewitnesses, no prior abnormal behaviour noticed, nothing.
This documentary charts the 30 years of the time of the abduction until now. It tells of the journey and struggles of Megumi's parents, but provides as a launchpad, an introduction into a mystery unravelled. While the act of kidnapping itself might seem one-off and random, but the putting together of little facts gathered throughout Japan by investigative journalists provided the bigger picture, and ultimately, the ability to point a finger, suggest motives, and seek closure.
But closure is something not easy to come by. For those who have been following press reports in recent years, you might have read a bit about the incidents starting from Japan's ex-Prime Minister Koizumi's historic visit to North Korea, and the release of some of the abductees in return for food and medical aid. Diplomacy seemed to be the best, and the only course, for Japan to engage North Korea. North Korea has shown that it doesn't negotiate easily, and it tends to flip flop around given its poor track record and ambiguous and conflicting, unconvincing evidences.
Abduction managed to piece together a compelling narrative, and at some times, horrifying too, at how random and perhaps senseless these acts are. But it does suggest some reasons why these Japanese were abducted, and mostly for espionage and training reasons, which seemed highly plausible. What was suspect though, and also not probed in depth, was interviews with the returned abductees. I thought that given it managed to talk to a North Korean defector, it would also be able to get those folks to open up. But perhaps they do not want to talk about their ordeal, or that it's classified information for confidential debriefing only, or like they mentioned, to ensure the safety of those still held by NOrth Korea, one will never know.
On a more personal scale, it charts the emotional turmoil and immense efforts by Megumi's parents to champion for the return of their daughter. Red herring, doctored evidence, and even something that should provide the most compelling evidence by far were all rebutted. It's understandable, and the documentary seemed to support and debunk whatever evidence that turns up. There's nothing like parents love, and this film captured all that. 30 years of hope and continued fighting for the truth shows all that. And it is their personal wish that these atrocities are made known to as many people as possible.
The screening today opened with a video address dated in August 2007 by her parents. In it, they shared their experience in dealing with the shock, their efforts, and of course, their steely resolve in hoping that their daughter will be returned to them one day. Containing an ode to Megumi, it was a relatively short video address, but one which I thought summarized the entire movie succinctly.
It's an understatement to say that kidnapping is terrible, for both the victim and the parents. But one done without a ransom provided, leaves little clues to the parents, and here, sparked off intense sorrow that I'm sure any parent can identify with - the love and effort in raising a child, now so suddenly taken away with you, with zero trace. There's absolutely nothing to fall back on - no motive, no eyewitnesses, no prior abnormal behaviour noticed, nothing.
This documentary charts the 30 years of the time of the abduction until now. It tells of the journey and struggles of Megumi's parents, but provides as a launchpad, an introduction into a mystery unravelled. While the act of kidnapping itself might seem one-off and random, but the putting together of little facts gathered throughout Japan by investigative journalists provided the bigger picture, and ultimately, the ability to point a finger, suggest motives, and seek closure.
But closure is something not easy to come by. For those who have been following press reports in recent years, you might have read a bit about the incidents starting from Japan's ex-Prime Minister Koizumi's historic visit to North Korea, and the release of some of the abductees in return for food and medical aid. Diplomacy seemed to be the best, and the only course, for Japan to engage North Korea. North Korea has shown that it doesn't negotiate easily, and it tends to flip flop around given its poor track record and ambiguous and conflicting, unconvincing evidences.
Abduction managed to piece together a compelling narrative, and at some times, horrifying too, at how random and perhaps senseless these acts are. But it does suggest some reasons why these Japanese were abducted, and mostly for espionage and training reasons, which seemed highly plausible. What was suspect though, and also not probed in depth, was interviews with the returned abductees. I thought that given it managed to talk to a North Korean defector, it would also be able to get those folks to open up. But perhaps they do not want to talk about their ordeal, or that it's classified information for confidential debriefing only, or like they mentioned, to ensure the safety of those still held by NOrth Korea, one will never know.
On a more personal scale, it charts the emotional turmoil and immense efforts by Megumi's parents to champion for the return of their daughter. Red herring, doctored evidence, and even something that should provide the most compelling evidence by far were all rebutted. It's understandable, and the documentary seemed to support and debunk whatever evidence that turns up. There's nothing like parents love, and this film captured all that. 30 years of hope and continued fighting for the truth shows all that. And it is their personal wish that these atrocities are made known to as many people as possible.
A relentless search for the truth of an abduction
dy15827 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
It started out as a personal search from the parents wanting to know where their daughter had gone, but it would come to take on a much bigger scale when many other parents in Japan was also actually experiencing something similar, before becoming a thorny issue between Japan and North Korea itself. In the late 70s in Japan, there has been a series of abductions of Japanese citizens in their early 20s by North Korean agents. But among those abducted, was someone who was 13 years of age by the name of Megumi Yokota.
It begins with Megumi's parents Shigeru and his wife Sakie recalling the day their daughter had gone missing on 15 November 1977, when she was supposed to be on her way home after school. Hours later and Sakie, a housewife then and still is at the time of the documentary's release, decided to check if Megumi was still in school. She went to Megumi's school and was told that her daughter was not there. On that same day, Sakie's husband Shigeru was working at the Bank of Japan where they had a welcoming party for the new staff, as he recalled. That very day would eventually never be the same again for the parents.
There would be a newspaper journalist who would take on the case where he noticed those who had been mysteriously abducted up till that point are in their early 20s. A North Korean defector who had been based in Japan would come to explain the rationale of the series of mysterious abductions of Japanese from North Korean agents, while being amazed at the fact that someone like Megumi's age is also on the same list of the group of people being abducted to North Korea. According to the defector, he believed that they were abducted to teach the Japanese language to future spies in North Korea, apart from that Japanese and North Koreans look alike and can assimilate easily into the crowd.
What the Yokotas experienced would come to launch into a nationwide search for their daughter as they appeared on Japanese television along with the other abductees' parents as Sakie representing the family, appealed for Megumi's return. Years would turn into decades and the Yokotas would move house, but they would still return back to where they used to live retracing what they think is the last time their daughter appeared before she was being abducted. Pressure from them and other parents would force the now-former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi who would travel to North Korea to negotiate for the release of its citizens in 2002. The now-late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il would admit that it had abducted Japanese citizens, but stopped short of taking the blame.
There would be five abducted Japanese citizens who would return back to their country later in that same year. Those that return back to Japan are whom North Korea said that are still alive, with the fate of Megumi still being unknown, as she was not among those on the flight back to Japan. What happened two years later would shook the country and the world. North Korea had sent Japan two human remains, where one of the two had been claimed by North Korea belonged to Megumi where they said that she had died committing suicide. While subsequent DNA testing in Japan proved otherwise, scientific journal Nature would dispute the manner of the testing. Regardless what, it further strained relations between Japan and North Korea.
There would be various theories raised over whether Megumi is still alive or not. But, Megumi's parents still refused to believe their daughter had died.
Not often watching a documentary where the nature of the story can leave quite a powerful impact on the viewer. But Megumi Yokota's story is also a story of tense diplomatic relations between two countries over what had happened decades ago still especially being felt in Japan itself, as much as it is a personal one as along the course of the documentary, it can get heart-breaking watching her parents talking about their family which also include Megumi's two older brothers and the daughter they had always knew.
It begins with Megumi's parents Shigeru and his wife Sakie recalling the day their daughter had gone missing on 15 November 1977, when she was supposed to be on her way home after school. Hours later and Sakie, a housewife then and still is at the time of the documentary's release, decided to check if Megumi was still in school. She went to Megumi's school and was told that her daughter was not there. On that same day, Sakie's husband Shigeru was working at the Bank of Japan where they had a welcoming party for the new staff, as he recalled. That very day would eventually never be the same again for the parents.
There would be a newspaper journalist who would take on the case where he noticed those who had been mysteriously abducted up till that point are in their early 20s. A North Korean defector who had been based in Japan would come to explain the rationale of the series of mysterious abductions of Japanese from North Korean agents, while being amazed at the fact that someone like Megumi's age is also on the same list of the group of people being abducted to North Korea. According to the defector, he believed that they were abducted to teach the Japanese language to future spies in North Korea, apart from that Japanese and North Koreans look alike and can assimilate easily into the crowd.
What the Yokotas experienced would come to launch into a nationwide search for their daughter as they appeared on Japanese television along with the other abductees' parents as Sakie representing the family, appealed for Megumi's return. Years would turn into decades and the Yokotas would move house, but they would still return back to where they used to live retracing what they think is the last time their daughter appeared before she was being abducted. Pressure from them and other parents would force the now-former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi who would travel to North Korea to negotiate for the release of its citizens in 2002. The now-late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il would admit that it had abducted Japanese citizens, but stopped short of taking the blame.
There would be five abducted Japanese citizens who would return back to their country later in that same year. Those that return back to Japan are whom North Korea said that are still alive, with the fate of Megumi still being unknown, as she was not among those on the flight back to Japan. What happened two years later would shook the country and the world. North Korea had sent Japan two human remains, where one of the two had been claimed by North Korea belonged to Megumi where they said that she had died committing suicide. While subsequent DNA testing in Japan proved otherwise, scientific journal Nature would dispute the manner of the testing. Regardless what, it further strained relations between Japan and North Korea.
There would be various theories raised over whether Megumi is still alive or not. But, Megumi's parents still refused to believe their daughter had died.
Not often watching a documentary where the nature of the story can leave quite a powerful impact on the viewer. But Megumi Yokota's story is also a story of tense diplomatic relations between two countries over what had happened decades ago still especially being felt in Japan itself, as much as it is a personal one as along the course of the documentary, it can get heart-breaking watching her parents talking about their family which also include Megumi's two older brothers and the daughter they had always knew.
Deeply touching story
YNOT_at_the_Movies26 March 2006
Imagine that suddenly your loved ones disappeared without a trace, only many years later you find out that they were abducted by North Korea spies, and you have no idea if they are still alive. That's a story this powerful documentary "ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story" presents. Thirteen-year-old Megumi Yokota didn't return home from school in November 1977. Years later, her family found out that she was abducted by the North Korea. Her parents went on a crusade to bring her back to Japan, along with other family members of 13 Japanese who were abducted by North Korea.
The film masterfully crafts footages and interviews and it tells us a heartbroken story. I cried, many times, like so many people in the sold out theatre. It still brings tears to my eyes when I recall the image of the weak Japanese lady tearful plead for her abducted son's return. She has been sick in bed for years after her son was abducted.
We probably simply shake our heads if we read the news about the abduction in a newspaper, thinking how crazy North Korea is. But watching this film, it puts human faces on those news reports. Everything becomes so real and so close to heart, because we can all related to our own families with those victims. Our families all have parents, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, just like those 13 abducted Japanese.
We live in a very sad world. Japanese invaded China and Korea, among many other countries during (and before) World War II. They did similar things as the North Korea did to these families, only perhaps not that secretly. Now, North Korea is doing the same thing to Japanese. When will all this come to an end? Can we just live together peacefully? This is a terrific documentary.
The film masterfully crafts footages and interviews and it tells us a heartbroken story. I cried, many times, like so many people in the sold out theatre. It still brings tears to my eyes when I recall the image of the weak Japanese lady tearful plead for her abducted son's return. She has been sick in bed for years after her son was abducted.
We probably simply shake our heads if we read the news about the abduction in a newspaper, thinking how crazy North Korea is. But watching this film, it puts human faces on those news reports. Everything becomes so real and so close to heart, because we can all related to our own families with those victims. Our families all have parents, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, just like those 13 abducted Japanese.
We live in a very sad world. Japanese invaded China and Korea, among many other countries during (and before) World War II. They did similar things as the North Korea did to these families, only perhaps not that secretly. Now, North Korea is doing the same thing to Japanese. When will all this come to an end? Can we just live together peacefully? This is a terrific documentary.
excellent - go see it.
siwoods11 May 2006
I have actually had the fortunate opportunity to see this documentary twice - at Slamdance and at Hot-Docs- both with sold out shows. I would highly recommend seeing it. It tells the story of a young 13 year old Japanese girl(Megumi) who suddenly goes missing, and her family's efforts to find her. There is a mystery side to it - which to most people, (like me) who are unaware of the the "kidnapping spies" issue - comes as a shock, almost unbelievable that this could conceivably happen. A political side - very timely, as North Korea is in the news. As well, it is a very emotional and heart wrenching story of love - as you see the toll it takes on the family, and how they cope with it. The documentary is very well done, it gives the viewer a real glimpse into Megumi's life and her family's. I think the other great thing about this movie is that it brings to light an issue that most North Americans are unaware of, forces you to think about them, and you'll be off to your computer to "google" for more answers.
Amazing Film!
k_arent_lee23 June 2007
This film is quite simply one of the most amazing documentaries I've ever seen. I didn't know what to expect and walked out of the theater completely floored at the end. The emotional story of Megumi's parents combined with the anxiety-laden, suspenseful way the filmmakers told it makes for an excellent experience. The way the filmmakers reveal the fates of the people abducted by North Korea had me more tense than any Hollywood movie. And then to watch the families deal with their grief and anguish with such dignity. It is hard to describe in words. I can't believe Americans have never heard this story and it reminds me of all the crazy stuff that goes on in the world that we ignore or simply don't hear about. I'm eagerly awaiting the DVD now so I can get my friends to see it!
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen
thesniels18 September 2007
I was lucky enough to catch this during an Asian film festival and wish that it would come out on DVD. It's the poignant story of a young girl's abduction by North Korean spies and her family's attempts to get her back. It's truly amazing that events like this go on in modern times, but they probably occur more than the general public is aware of, and we only get insight into these sad events through excellent documentaries like this one. The story's ending, sadly, will come as no surprise to anyone who knows about the North Korean government. However, the story is still compelling and the ending does have a few odd twists in store. It would be difficult to watch this movie and not feel incredible empathy for this poor girl and her family. I've always been a fan of documentaries, and the few that manage to expose the injustices of society are in a league of their own. This is excellent viewing and highly recommended.
The Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story is about a family wishing to find the where abouts of their daughter, who vanished when she was thirteen.
mmorse101722 February 2007
I am generally not a fan of documentaries, but this one is a remarkable film! When I saw this film at George Mason University, I cried because it was so sad and moving. You literally feel the anguish and sadness seep through this film. I hope and pray that all the IMDb users who read my review or others (which, will probably be better then this review), will go and see this film. Hopefully, once you see the film, you will tell your family and friends about the film. Even if, you do not like this style of filming or are not fans of this genre, should see this film! If you have to see a documentary film, I highly recommend this one and I give this film 9 out of 10!
Depressing and fascinating in equal measure (spoilers)
bob the moo13 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
In the 1970's, the thirteen year old Japanese Megumi Yokota goes missing. Decades pass with no word of where she has gone or clue as to what happened to her. Gradually a proposal is put together that she was kidnapped by North Korean spies as part of a plan to help their spies pass themselves off as Japanese in word and action. This documentary follows the painful journey of Megumi's parents as they try to exert political pressure on the Japanese government to force North Korea to reveal the truth about Megumi Yokota.
I have put spoilers in my summary line because, although this is a documentary and in theory not a drama that can be "spoilt", many people will not be aware of the story being told (as I wasn't) and it does work best if you allow yourself to be lost in experiencing all of this for the first time. I personally found it shocking that I found it so easy to believe. When some accuses another country of organising kidnapping at a governmental level so as to improve the efficiency of their spy network, you do want to think it is the talk of a paranoid person, however even today I find it easy to believe and this film only serves to reinforce my rather negative view of humanity.
I was quite surprised that I had no heard of this story. Did the issue of abductees get no coverage in the Western media or did I just manage to ignore it (to my shame)? The film uses news and video footage really well to create a great passage of time so that the story does unfold in front of the viewer making it all the more impacting that just being told what happened (like I said the spoiler warning is useful for those in my situation). On a political level the film is interesting as it follows the discussion as it hits the highest level of the North Korean and Japanese governments however it is the much more personal tale of loss that will really stay with you.
It is impossible to spend 80 minutes with the parents without being deeply moved by their loss and their understandable but destructive drive for answers and, if need be, closure. One cannot even imagine what it is like to experience that type of emotion daily for decades and to still be chasing it. The film brings this out well and produces an dramatic documentary that does hurt to watch but is no less fascinating for it. It left me feel depressed for many reasons but mostly by the thought of governments ruining individual innocent lives as part of their wars as well as the evils (lets call it what it is) of all scales that mankind inflicts on one another. Very good film but not one that will instil any sense of hope in your heart about our rulers.
I have put spoilers in my summary line because, although this is a documentary and in theory not a drama that can be "spoilt", many people will not be aware of the story being told (as I wasn't) and it does work best if you allow yourself to be lost in experiencing all of this for the first time. I personally found it shocking that I found it so easy to believe. When some accuses another country of organising kidnapping at a governmental level so as to improve the efficiency of their spy network, you do want to think it is the talk of a paranoid person, however even today I find it easy to believe and this film only serves to reinforce my rather negative view of humanity.
I was quite surprised that I had no heard of this story. Did the issue of abductees get no coverage in the Western media or did I just manage to ignore it (to my shame)? The film uses news and video footage really well to create a great passage of time so that the story does unfold in front of the viewer making it all the more impacting that just being told what happened (like I said the spoiler warning is useful for those in my situation). On a political level the film is interesting as it follows the discussion as it hits the highest level of the North Korean and Japanese governments however it is the much more personal tale of loss that will really stay with you.
It is impossible to spend 80 minutes with the parents without being deeply moved by their loss and their understandable but destructive drive for answers and, if need be, closure. One cannot even imagine what it is like to experience that type of emotion daily for decades and to still be chasing it. The film brings this out well and produces an dramatic documentary that does hurt to watch but is no less fascinating for it. It left me feel depressed for many reasons but mostly by the thought of governments ruining individual innocent lives as part of their wars as well as the evils (lets call it what it is) of all scales that mankind inflicts on one another. Very good film but not one that will instil any sense of hope in your heart about our rulers.
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