Beyond Utopia is a gripping and difficult watch. An important documentary showing the lengths of what people will do to escape a repressive country. Harrowing and enlightening, Madeleine Gavin’s film astounds.
An account of the hazardous journey that North Korean dissidents and those who help them flee one of the world’s most repressive regimes.
We are all well aware of how much North Korea is hiding from the world about what is occurring within its borders. We imagine it to be a tightly run, desolate place to reside in. Yet, filmmaker Madeleine Gavin’s subjects in Beyond Utopia spell out such a harrowing situation for North Korean citizens that you struggle to come to terms with it mentally. The sheer amount of propaganda they are pushing out is frightening, especially when we hear the real story from those who have recently found a way out.
So indoctrinated are some North Koreans that even when they escape, they are conflicted. They have done it for their family, but they fully believe what authorities have told them about countries outside of their homeland. They mistrust and are enclosed, to begin with, when Gavin first speaks to them. Americans cannot and should not be trusted; that is what they have been told, and some have not been able to clear their minds of the lies being told to them. They are practically relearning everything they ever knew all over again.
When you imagine someone fleeing their country for safety, you naively believe that they are indeed safe as soon as they cross that border onto another land. But this isn’t the case for the defectors of North Korea; if they cross into, say, China, not only could they be dragged back, but they could also be captured and killed by Chinese authorities or even captured and sold to traffickers. It is such a dangerous journey that you would scarcely believe it without the footage we are given from Gavin.
With the help of Pastor Kim, thousands of North Koreans have been able to flee their country to places of safety. But as mentioned, their journey is not safe and certain. Over mountains and jungles, those who risk everything to give their family and themselves a better chance at life is a nail biter. Perfectly edited by Gavin, she utilises multiple “tricks” to invest us in the story of those involved.
Seeing the moments of the family’s escape is nerve-racking; it really is as simple as that. You are constantly left mouth agape at what you see; the family’s determination and courage as they document their journey to freedom is, at times, a hard watch. Yet, as hard a watch as Beyond Utopia can be, it is as magnificent as it is important. As powerful a documentary as there can be.
★★★★
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