Comrade Kim Goes Flying

Beautiful provincial trade worker Kim Yong Mi dreams of being a famous trapeze artist in the national acrobatics troupe in Pyongyang. The narrative, albeit odd, is relatively simple, but it is the structural execution of the film that is utterly fascinating. The art department have taken the concept of socialist realism to soaring new heights – excuse the pun. If your interest isn't already piqued to experience the first film in recent history to be shot entirely in North Korea, then perhaps these next few observations might convince you. This film merits an audience for its efforts in hyper-saturated colour grading, the parts of the film arranged in what could only be described as “magic time”, the often confusing and incessant laughter, the continual affirmations of the working class, and Pyongyang's perpetual daylight. Despite the film's marketing as a light-hearted, quasi-romantic comedy, the film's propagandistic elements are at least blatant rather than subliminal. Or so we hope.

Advice: consider devising a drinking game called either 'stock footage' or 'magic time'. Wait for the scenes where arbitrary segments of North Korean industry have been edited in, or, scenes that have been purposely accelerated in an attempt to showcase the efficiency of the working class.