Dear Pyongyang is a documentary film by Zainichi Korean director Yang Yonghi about her own family. Shot in Osaka Japan (Yang’s hometown) and Pyongyang, North Korea, the film features Korean dialog with English subtitles.
In the 1970s, Yang’s father, an ardent communist and leader of the pro-North movement in Japan, sent his three sons from Japan to North Korea under a repatriation campaign sponsored by ethnic activist organisation and de-facto North Korean embassy Chongryon; as the only daughter, Yang herself remained in Japan. However, as the economic situation in the North deteriorated, the brothers became increasingly dependent for survival on the care packages sent by their parents. The film shows Yang’s visits to her brothers in Pyongyang, as well as conversations with her father about his ideological faith and his regrets over breaking up his family.
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August 26th, 2010 at 14:34
This one is a fantastic look at the very hidden world of family life in Korean families and the taboo’s that come with it. It is a very up close and personal documentary, well worth a watch.