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Comrade Kim Goes Flying
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Wikipedia article
'Comrade Kim Goes Flying' is a 2012 romantic comedy feature film,[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/world/asia/filming-a-north-korean-dream.html?pagewanted=all "Filming a North Korean Dream"], 'The New York Times', 30 July 2012 set and filmed in Pyongyang, North Korea.[http://www.koryogroup.com/newsletter/200808.htm Koryo Quarterly newsletter] , August 2008
Plot
Comrade Kim Yong Mi is a North Korean coal miner. Her dream of becoming a trapeze artist is crushed by the arrogant trapeze star Pak Jang Phil, who believes that "miners belong underground and not in the air". Co-director Nicholas Bonner described it as a "girl-power fairy tale about dreaming to fly", adding that his hope was "for Korean audiences to see the film on both sides of the border and be entertained". The three producers reportedly "steered [the North Korean writers] toward comedy and away from the more predictable propaganda line of triumph through hard work". The programmer for Toronto described the film in these terms: "A winning, life-affirming fable about a young coal miners pursuit of her dream to become an acrobat, 'Comrade Kim Goes Flying' marks a milestone in film history: it is the first Western-financed fiction feature made entirely in North Korea".[http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2012/comradekimgoesflying Films and schedules] , Toronto International FIlm Festival
Cast
The film is directed by Kim Gwang Hun, Nicholas Bonner and Anja Daelemans; produced by Anja Daelemans, Nicholas Bonner and Ryom Mi Hwa; and written by Sin Myong Sik and Kim Chol.
The main cast is as follows:
*Han Jong Sim as Kim Yong Mi ("Comrade Kim")
*Pak Chung Guk as Pak Jang Phil
*Ri Yong Ho as Commander Sok Gun
*Kim Son Nam as Yong Mi's father
*Ri Ik Sung as the coal mine manager
*Kim Un Yong as Ri Su Yon (trapeze artist)
*Han Kil Myong as Yong Mi's Grandmother
*An Chang Sun as Jang Phil's mother
Production
It is a coproduction between Belgian production company Another Dimension of an Idea, the Korea Film Export & Import Corporation, and British travel company Koryo Group.[http://tofilmfest.ca/films/?by=Film&at=Comrade_Kim_Goes_Flying&yr=2012#Comrade_Kim_Goes_Flying "Comrade Kim Goes Flying"], Toronto Film Festival It is the fourth film produced by Koryo Group in co-operation with North Korea. The previous three films 'The Game of Their Lives' (2002), 'A State of Mind' (2004) and 'Crossing the Line' (2006) were documentaries. 'Comrade Kim Goes Flying' was shot in Pyongyang, with a North Korean cast and crew.
Reception
'Comrade Kim Goes Flying' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012. The film also showed at the 2012 Pyongyang International Film Festival.[http://www.pyongyanginternationalfilmfestival.com/news.html "News and Media"] , Pyongyang International Film Festival, 22 March 2012 In October, it was shown at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.[http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2012/10/12/le-camarade-kim-invite-posthume-a-busan_1774526_3246.html "Le camarade Kim, invit posthume du Festival de Busan"], 'Le Monde', 12 October 2012 In March 2013 it played in the United States, with the 'Wall Street Journal' calling it a "feel-good style of a Doris DayRock Hudson picture".[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324077704578360352794924148 'Romantic North Korea'] 20 March 2013. 'The Wall Street Journal' The film was screened at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in July 2018.
Reviewing the film for 'Variety', Jay Weissberg wrote: "'Comrade Kim Goes Flying' proves that cooperation with the West really is possible, at least in cinema. A candy-hued throwback to a chirpy Technicolor time when pluck wins out and 'postmodern' wasn't yet invented, this 'let's put on a show!' tale of a young woman miner's dream of becoming an acrobat has been winning hearts since preeming at Toronto".[https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-comrade-kim-goes-flying-1200006015/ "Film Review: Comrade Kim Goes Flying"], 'Variety', 9 March 2013
References
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