Pyongyang Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The Pyongyang International Film Festival is a biennial cultural exhibition held in Pyongyang
, North Korea
. The film festival
is an unusually cosmopolitan event for a state known to be reclusive to outside (particularly Western
) contact.
The event originated in 1987 as the Pyongyang Film Festival of the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries. As the name precisely delineated, the festival was a cultural exchange between countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
. The maiden event, held from September 1 through September 10, showed short films, features, and documentaries that were judged for competitive awards.
The film festival returned in 1990 and would be regularly held every other year. Recurrent subject matter included domestic cinema that commonly praised the high leadership such as a film shown at the 1992 film festival, verbosely translated, Glory of Our People in Holding the Great Leader in High Esteem, and foreign films about revolutionary resistance. In 2000, officials widened the acceptable breadth of film watching, by screening Japanese films for the first time. Six films by director Yoji Yamada
, including two installments of Otoko wa tsurai yo
, a long running franchise, were shown at the festival and in theaters.
The ninth festival, held in 2004, moderated cultural restrictions further with the screening of a dubbed and censored version of the British
comedy Bend It Like Beckham
and U.S.
-produced South Africa
n drama Cry, The Beloved Country
. Bend it like Beckham reportedly delighted the limited audience of less than 100 who were allowed to see it. The film won the music prize.
In 2006, the Swedish horror comedy Frostbiten
was shown at the festival, being the first foreign horror film to ever be shown in North Korea.
The Schoolgirl's Diary
, which premiered at the 2006 festival, in 2007 became the first North Korean film in several decades to be picked up for international distribution, when it was purchased by French company Pretty Pictures. It was released in France in late 2007.
In recent years, the film festival has included films from Western countries with which Pyongyang has diplomatic relations. Many of the films are censored and often have themes emphasising family values, loyalty and the temptations of money. In 2008, 110 films were shown from a total of 46 countries.
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
is an unusually cosmopolitan event for a state known to be reclusive to outside (particularly Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
) contact.
The event originated in 1987 as the Pyongyang Film Festival of the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries. As the name precisely delineated, the festival was a cultural exchange between countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
. The maiden event, held from September 1 through September 10, showed short films, features, and documentaries that were judged for competitive awards.
The film festival returned in 1990 and would be regularly held every other year. Recurrent subject matter included domestic cinema that commonly praised the high leadership such as a film shown at the 1992 film festival, verbosely translated, Glory of Our People in Holding the Great Leader in High Esteem, and foreign films about revolutionary resistance. In 2000, officials widened the acceptable breadth of film watching, by screening Japanese films for the first time. Six films by director Yoji Yamada
Yoji Yamada
is a Japanese film director best known for his Otoko wa Tsurai yo series of films and his Samurai Trilogy ....
, including two installments of Otoko wa tsurai yo
Otoko wa Tsurai yo
Otoko wa tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as "Tora-san" , a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "Tora-san" by its fans...
, a long running franchise, were shown at the festival and in theaters.
The ninth festival, held in 2004, moderated cultural restrictions further with the screening of a dubbed and censored version of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy Bend It Like Beckham
Bend It Like Beckham
Bend It Like Beckham is a 2002 comedy-drama film starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Anupam Kher, Shaznay Lewis, and Archie Panjabi first released in the United Kingdom. The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha...
and U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-produced South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n drama Cry, The Beloved Country
Cry, the Beloved Country (1995 film)
Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1995 film directed by Darrell Roodt. Based on the novel Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton it stars James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. It features the song Exile by Enya. The score was composed by John Barry....
. Bend it like Beckham reportedly delighted the limited audience of less than 100 who were allowed to see it. The film won the music prize.
In 2006, the Swedish horror comedy Frostbiten
Frostbiten
Frostbite is a Swedish comedy horror film from 2006 directed by Anders Banke.The film was produced outside the bigger Swedish films studios, which would be considered an independent film in America...
was shown at the festival, being the first foreign horror film to ever be shown in North Korea.
The Schoolgirl's Diary
The Schoolgirl's Diary
The Schoolgirl's Diary is a 2006 North Korean film directed by Jang In-hak. It debuted at the 2006 Pyongyang Film Festival as one of two films produced domestically that year, and was released in France at the end of 2007.-External links:*...
, which premiered at the 2006 festival, in 2007 became the first North Korean film in several decades to be picked up for international distribution, when it was purchased by French company Pretty Pictures. It was released in France in late 2007.
In recent years, the film festival has included films from Western countries with which Pyongyang has diplomatic relations. Many of the films are censored and often have themes emphasising family values, loyalty and the temptations of money. In 2008, 110 films were shown from a total of 46 countries.
External links
- Festival home page
- Now playing, in Pyongyang – An American reporter's jaunty commentary
- Korean Central News Agency:9th Pyongyang Film Festival Closes – An official state news agency article on the 9th film festival
- Korean Central News Agency:Pyongyang Film Festival opens – An official state news agency article on the 8th film festival