‘Beyond Utopia’ Director Wants to Honor 26 Million Trapped North Koreans in an ‘Intimate, Profound Way’

TheWrap magazine: Madeleine Gavin says documenting families’ attempted escapes from the authoritarian nation was a lesson in “pure courage”

Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions)
Beyond Utopia (Credit: Roadside Attractions)

Madeleine Gavin’s thriller-documentary chronicles the attempt by one family to escape the starvation regime of North Korea. Told in an intense style, without any staged scenes or recreations, it features as much real-life drama as any fictional prison-break movie.

The filmmaker and editor, whose credits include “City of Joy” and “What I Want My Words to Do to You: Voices from Inside a Women’s Maximum Security Prison,” spoke to TheWrap about trying to ensure safety for her subjects — while making a present-tense documentary about one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Your film doesn’t include recreations or staged footage, which is stated in a title card at the beginning.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.