1 00:00:01,981 --> 00:00:04,370 (speaking in foreign language) 2 00:00:04,370 --> 00:00:05,730 - [Narrator] The passing of time 3 00:00:05,730 --> 00:00:07,960 has not made it any easier. 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,800 It has always been complicated to talk about North Korea. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,220 Somehow, judgment has been passed. 6 00:00:15,220 --> 00:00:18,110 The country is beyond repair. 7 00:00:18,110 --> 00:00:20,560 Everyone camps on their preconception 8 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:24,113 of what the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is. 9 00:00:25,010 --> 00:00:28,250 Orwell, paranoia, schizophrenia, 10 00:00:28,250 --> 00:00:30,830 gulags, a red dynasty, 11 00:00:30,830 --> 00:00:33,340 the tubby leader who loved watching movies 12 00:00:33,340 --> 00:00:35,310 and hated being so short, 13 00:00:35,310 --> 00:00:38,226 and his chubby son with his weird haircut. 14 00:00:38,226 --> 00:00:39,910 (soft music) 15 00:00:39,910 --> 00:00:41,990 On top of that comes the terrible threat 16 00:00:41,990 --> 00:00:44,400 of the country and its nuclear weapons, 17 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,460 weapons that will make all the other frightened, 18 00:00:47,460 --> 00:00:51,153 disarmed, and innocent nations tremble with fear. 19 00:00:52,730 --> 00:00:53,840 But why? 20 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,900 Why is any kind of exaggeration acceptable 21 00:00:56,900 --> 00:00:59,480 to describe what is already a difficult 22 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,040 and often tragic situation, 23 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,733 even by those who only seek to damn the country? 24 00:01:10,190 --> 00:01:12,550 People are constantly reminding us 25 00:01:12,550 --> 00:01:16,143 that it's impossible to go there, which makes us suspicious. 26 00:01:17,350 --> 00:01:19,230 And if we do actually get there, 27 00:01:19,230 --> 00:01:21,133 we're told we won't see anything. 28 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:23,950 And if we do see something, 29 00:01:23,950 --> 00:01:27,483 in any case it's fake because they hide the truth. 30 00:01:34,700 --> 00:01:37,360 Somebody once tried to convince us 31 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,843 that there were no skyscrapers in Pyongyang. 32 00:01:42,113 --> 00:01:44,130 And at that time, one of us was living 33 00:01:44,130 --> 00:01:48,360 on Gwangbok Avenue in a 24th floor flat. 34 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,080 He was taken aback. 35 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,991 Had he been levitating the whole time? 36 00:01:52,991 --> 00:01:55,408 (soft music) 37 00:01:58,010 --> 00:02:00,880 This film was shot over a period of eight years 38 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:05,470 by three people, one of them is a Korean translator. 39 00:02:05,470 --> 00:02:08,603 Between us, we have made over 40 trips to North Korea. 40 00:02:09,580 --> 00:02:12,010 And yet, this film will show no prison camps 41 00:02:12,010 --> 00:02:14,893 and no missile ramps, totally off limits. 42 00:02:16,310 --> 00:02:18,730 And don't forget that in North Korea, 43 00:02:18,730 --> 00:02:21,400 you are also forbidden to film soldiers, 44 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,060 building sites, supermarkets, 45 00:02:24,060 --> 00:02:27,290 gambling, people without enough food to eat, 46 00:02:27,290 --> 00:02:30,200 and sometimes even people eating, 47 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,273 which is difficult to avoid. 48 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,920 But while getting to North Korea is complicated, 49 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:40,860 it's not true that you can't travel there, 50 00:02:40,860 --> 00:02:44,673 as long as you accept being escorted almost all the time. 51 00:02:45,740 --> 00:02:49,393 It's not true that visitors are asked to swear allegiance. 52 00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:54,103 It's not true that they only show what they want to. 53 00:02:55,740 --> 00:02:58,610 And it's untrue to say you never hear laughter 54 00:02:58,610 --> 00:03:00,322 in North Korea. (man grunting) 55 00:03:00,322 --> 00:03:02,905 (all laughing) 56 00:03:04,338 --> 00:03:05,857 - I'm this close. 57 00:03:05,857 --> 00:03:08,440 (bright music) 58 00:03:44,362 --> 00:03:47,160 (horn honking) 59 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,293 - In North Korea, the roadways are a bumpy ride. 60 00:03:52,180 --> 00:03:53,660 As soon as you leave the city, 61 00:03:53,660 --> 00:03:57,468 the concrete slabs are riddled with cracks and potholes. 62 00:03:57,468 --> 00:03:58,600 (horn honking) 63 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,673 Enough to disintegrate backbones and axles. 64 00:04:02,940 --> 00:04:07,330 Thus, broken trucks and buses litter the hard shoulders. 65 00:04:07,330 --> 00:04:09,747 (soft music) 66 00:04:12,690 --> 00:04:15,273 (horn honking) 67 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,000 Depending on the season, 68 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,363 wheat, rice, and potatoes are harvested in the fields. 69 00:04:25,460 --> 00:04:27,300 For beyond its countless mountains, 70 00:04:27,300 --> 00:04:30,283 North Korea is above all a land of farming. 71 00:04:35,390 --> 00:04:37,540 A land that dreams of self-sufficiency 72 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:40,593 one day, maybe. 73 00:04:42,060 --> 00:04:45,810 So each viable square meter must be put to use, 74 00:04:45,810 --> 00:04:48,390 even up the sides of the mountains. 75 00:04:48,390 --> 00:04:50,963 Barely 20% of the land is arable. 76 00:04:56,185 --> 00:05:00,630 (speaking in foreign language) 77 00:05:00,630 --> 00:05:04,670 This factory was not filmed by Eisenstein in 1920, 78 00:05:04,670 --> 00:05:08,090 but in 2016, with a small amateur camera, 79 00:05:08,090 --> 00:05:10,000 the location scout in Hamhung 80 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,223 in the northeastern part of the country. 81 00:05:14,500 --> 00:05:17,313 Pictures of North Korea are often misleading. 82 00:05:19,540 --> 00:05:22,810 This is the largest fertilizer factory in the country, 83 00:05:22,810 --> 00:05:26,600 once honored by over 30 visits from Kim Il-sung 84 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,760 and recently modernized to boost the productivity 85 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,503 of the corporate of farms, 86 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,120 typical farms like this one 87 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:43,151 with ox carts, geese and ducks, and multiple red flags. 88 00:05:43,151 --> 00:05:45,901 (ducks quacking) 89 00:05:48,100 --> 00:05:50,850 Another farm, a year later. 90 00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:52,120 It's raining. 91 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,820 Everyone has gone off to seek shelter. 92 00:05:54,820 --> 00:05:56,710 Only the production chart remains, 93 00:05:56,710 --> 00:05:59,572 proudly displaying the farm's results. 94 00:05:59,572 --> 00:06:01,990 (water splashing) 95 00:06:01,990 --> 00:06:05,470 We found shelter in the living room of this farm worker. 96 00:06:05,470 --> 00:06:07,470 She talks about her tough work, 97 00:06:07,470 --> 00:06:10,300 freezing in winter, scorching in summer, 98 00:06:10,300 --> 00:06:12,836 breaking her back in the rice fields. 99 00:06:12,836 --> 00:06:14,370 (speaking in foreign language) 100 00:06:14,370 --> 00:06:18,900 She tells us her son is 14, and adds I know he's small, 101 00:06:18,900 --> 00:06:20,760 we've been through hard years. 102 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,963 He was born before the famine had ended. 103 00:06:24,910 --> 00:06:26,540 Behind her on TV, 104 00:06:26,540 --> 00:06:28,910 one of the countless historical melodramas 105 00:06:28,910 --> 00:06:31,440 relating the tragic past of Korea 106 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,670 which led to the revolution. 107 00:06:33,670 --> 00:06:36,350 And then, she broke into a passionate description 108 00:06:36,350 --> 00:06:37,753 of her trips to Pyongyang. 109 00:06:38,738 --> 00:06:42,655 (speaking in foreign language) 110 00:06:59,024 --> 00:07:01,155 (woman laughing) 111 00:07:01,155 --> 00:07:03,113 (bugs chirping) 112 00:07:03,113 --> 00:07:05,530 (soft music) 113 00:07:08,100 --> 00:07:11,020 Anyone from the provinces visiting the capital 114 00:07:11,020 --> 00:07:13,803 is first obliged to pass through this place, 115 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,070 the house where Kim Il-sung was born, 116 00:07:17,070 --> 00:07:19,053 the birthplace of the republic. 117 00:07:20,430 --> 00:07:22,720 This is where it all started, they say. 118 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,300 The great leaders of revolution were training. 119 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:27,360 The resistance against the Japanese, 120 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,960 the struggle against the evil landowners 121 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,923 who collaborated and so on and so forth. 122 00:07:36,310 --> 00:07:39,640 And as Kim Il-sung was himself son of an ordinary peasant, 123 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,543 he is both venerated and a role model. 124 00:07:46,710 --> 00:07:48,270 As the seasons pass, 125 00:07:48,270 --> 00:07:51,160 the decoration of the birthplace changes. 126 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:55,223 Quiet and sober in winter, it frames a dignified parade. 127 00:07:56,590 --> 00:07:58,060 Here in 2011, 128 00:07:58,060 --> 00:08:01,513 we see the first colored anoraks imported from China. 129 00:08:02,730 --> 00:08:05,690 In 2015, intimidated schoolchildren 130 00:08:05,690 --> 00:08:08,083 wear red name brand sweatpants, 131 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,763 though the sneakers don't quite make the grade. 132 00:08:14,770 --> 00:08:17,400 In September come autumn hues 133 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:19,453 and a pumpkin on the thatched roof. 134 00:08:22,116 --> 00:08:26,160 (speaking in foreign language) 135 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,430 In Pyongyang, everything is bigger, 136 00:08:28,430 --> 00:08:31,080 the lady from the farm would say to herself, 137 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:32,923 more modern and more beautiful. 138 00:08:33,940 --> 00:08:36,000 Here you can find more of everything, 139 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,780 more light, more shops, more food, more housing, 140 00:08:38,780 --> 00:08:41,833 more work, more education, more culture. 141 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,883 How could anyone not want to live here? 142 00:08:47,490 --> 00:08:50,460 The capital is more than the heart of the state, 143 00:08:50,460 --> 00:08:51,623 it's the template. 144 00:08:53,490 --> 00:08:56,600 She will be taught that these exemplary model buildings 145 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,450 are the homes of exemplary citizens, 146 00:08:59,450 --> 00:09:01,973 scientists, soldiers, civil servants. 147 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,570 Some of the most honored ones live on the new 148 00:09:08,570 --> 00:09:11,743 and highly publicized Future Scientists Street. 149 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,580 When you come from a village without even one paved road, 150 00:09:15,580 --> 00:09:16,777 you stand in awe. 151 00:09:17,628 --> 00:09:20,045 (soft music) 152 00:09:26,130 --> 00:09:28,420 Imagine, people who live here 153 00:09:28,420 --> 00:09:30,883 even seem to have loads of free time. 154 00:09:36,810 --> 00:09:40,250 The lady from the farm is dazzled by these skyscrapers, 155 00:09:40,250 --> 00:09:43,650 the most famous of which is in the shape of an atom, 156 00:09:43,650 --> 00:09:46,710 and by the new neighborhoods springing up all over the city 157 00:09:46,710 --> 00:09:48,210 erected by the sheer force 158 00:09:48,210 --> 00:09:50,573 of the country's soldiers and workers. 159 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:03,680 There is little chance that she 160 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:06,130 will ever set foot in one of these flats, 161 00:10:06,130 --> 00:10:08,393 reserved for the worthiest citizens. 162 00:10:10,580 --> 00:10:13,540 Even if the inhabitants have fled the camera, 163 00:10:13,540 --> 00:10:15,563 everything is neat and tidy. 164 00:10:22,830 --> 00:10:25,540 From the balcony, the horizon opens, 165 00:10:25,540 --> 00:10:28,510 revealing the real estate boom in the capital. 166 00:10:28,510 --> 00:10:30,190 Note the colors which contrast 167 00:10:30,190 --> 00:10:32,573 with the gray that prevailed 20 years ago. 168 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,050 The lady may never understand 169 00:10:35,050 --> 00:10:37,160 the semi-legal real estate market 170 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:40,413 that has developed in the big cities in the past few years. 171 00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:44,750 When the state gives its faithful followers a new flat, 172 00:10:44,750 --> 00:10:48,620 they hurry to sell off the right to inhabit their old one. 173 00:10:48,620 --> 00:10:52,900 The prices can reach over $100,000 for the best locations, 174 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:55,833 with the state pocketing a mere fraction in tax. 175 00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:58,480 Marx might have called that 176 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,923 the primitive accumulation of capital. 177 00:11:02,244 --> 00:11:04,800 (horn honking) 178 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:06,050 Her trip will end with a visit 179 00:11:06,050 --> 00:11:08,463 to an amusement park or a water park. 180 00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:10,970 Playgrounds for the people are one 181 00:11:10,970 --> 00:11:12,853 of Kim Jong-un's priorities. 182 00:11:13,806 --> 00:11:18,526 (water splashing) (kids screaming) 183 00:11:18,526 --> 00:11:21,240 (whistle blowing) 184 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,630 The entrance is pricey, two euros, 185 00:11:23,630 --> 00:11:28,050 but everybody mingles, everybody has fun just like children. 186 00:11:28,050 --> 00:11:30,403 People slide, people laugh. 187 00:11:32,144 --> 00:11:34,996 (all laughing) 188 00:11:34,996 --> 00:11:37,002 (all screaming) 189 00:11:37,002 --> 00:11:39,419 (soft music) 190 00:11:48,708 --> 00:11:51,541 (water splashing) 191 00:11:54,027 --> 00:11:57,944 (speaking in foreign language) 192 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,210 The provincials sometime seem a little lost in the crowd. 193 00:13:03,210 --> 00:13:06,190 But since lots of visitors don't know how to swim, 194 00:13:06,190 --> 00:13:08,210 nobody really notices. 195 00:13:08,210 --> 00:13:10,200 In fact, the national TV channel 196 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,523 has started broadcasting swim lessons. 197 00:13:13,523 --> 00:13:14,890 (bright music) 198 00:13:14,890 --> 00:13:18,180 A giant screen plays concerts by the group Moranbong, 199 00:13:18,180 --> 00:13:21,670 part pop rock girls' band, part military orchestra, 200 00:13:21,670 --> 00:13:24,423 but most importantly, extremely popular. 201 00:13:33,195 --> 00:13:36,672 (singing in foreign language) 202 00:13:36,672 --> 00:13:39,672 (audience cheering) 203 00:14:17,673 --> 00:14:22,673 (audience cheering) (water splashing) 204 00:14:24,030 --> 00:14:27,540 Sunset is the moment for the last stop, 205 00:14:27,540 --> 00:14:30,563 the central amusement park behind the Arc of Triomphe. 206 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:34,640 Like everywhere in Korea, 207 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:38,090 filming soldiers is banned, but difficult to avoid. 208 00:14:38,090 --> 00:14:39,363 They are everywhere. 209 00:14:40,254 --> 00:14:43,087 (crowd clamoring) 210 00:14:48,747 --> 00:14:51,730 Bread and circuses, some might say. 211 00:14:51,730 --> 00:14:53,420 But it's more than that. 212 00:14:53,420 --> 00:14:55,440 Every Korean dreams of having the right 213 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,023 to live in Pyongyang and enjoy all this opulence. 214 00:15:00,090 --> 00:15:02,900 Every inhabitant of the capital has one fear, 215 00:15:02,900 --> 00:15:07,050 being expelled for some grave error or stupid mistake, 216 00:15:07,050 --> 00:15:10,230 leading to them or their family being exiled 217 00:15:10,230 --> 00:15:13,690 by the authorities for years, or their whole life, 218 00:15:13,690 --> 00:15:17,319 to a place where they will have less of everything. 219 00:15:17,319 --> 00:15:20,069 (dramatic music) 220 00:15:23,780 --> 00:15:27,390 Pyongyang, with its lights and sights, inspires loyalty. 221 00:15:27,390 --> 00:15:30,500 Some people really have fun in the parks and pools 222 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,160 of the most beautiful city in the country, 223 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,380 and even for them the world, 224 00:15:35,380 --> 00:15:37,643 since theirs stops at North Korea's borders. 225 00:15:43,303 --> 00:15:45,720 (soft music) 226 00:16:01,443 --> 00:16:06,443 (speaking in foreign language) (water splashing) 227 00:16:10,900 --> 00:16:14,280 So far, we haven't witnessed a birth in North Korea, 228 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:18,120 but many weddings, or rather their preparation. 229 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,060 Here, a wedding video shot by a professional 230 00:16:21,060 --> 00:16:22,300 who is getting the happy couple 231 00:16:22,300 --> 00:16:25,970 to pose in all the iconic sites of their city. 232 00:16:25,970 --> 00:16:27,790 It's monsoon season, 233 00:16:27,790 --> 00:16:31,690 38 degrees celsius, and extremely humid. 234 00:16:31,690 --> 00:16:35,607 (speaking in foreign language) 235 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,612 The tour always starts with the leader's statues, 236 00:16:59,612 --> 00:17:01,873 even if they're shrouded in fog. 237 00:17:03,650 --> 00:17:05,780 After that, it's a la carte, 238 00:17:05,780 --> 00:17:10,773 art studio, Juche Tower, the mausoleum, local viewpoints. 239 00:17:12,588 --> 00:17:15,840 (formal music) 240 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:17,770 It ends in special banquet rooms 241 00:17:17,770 --> 00:17:20,023 hired and decked out for the occasion. 242 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,570 The size depends on the family's wealth. 243 00:17:23,570 --> 00:17:28,100 80 to 120 guests, rocket-shaped bottles of alcohol, 244 00:17:28,100 --> 00:17:29,573 speeches and music. 245 00:17:36,385 --> 00:17:37,890 (water splashing) (speaking in foreign language) 246 00:17:37,890 --> 00:17:39,690 But what the video doesn't show 247 00:17:39,690 --> 00:17:42,903 are all the other people who made this happy event possible. 248 00:17:46,288 --> 00:17:50,205 (speaking in foreign language) 249 00:17:52,630 --> 00:17:56,320 In North Korea, matchmakers are a common intermediary 250 00:17:56,320 --> 00:18:00,010 in charge of introducing you to the ideal partner 251 00:18:00,010 --> 00:18:02,010 for you and your family. 252 00:18:02,010 --> 00:18:04,660 Almost as much as in the south, 253 00:18:04,660 --> 00:18:08,783 arranged marriages are the norm rather than love matches, 254 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,232 with the result that people marry within their social class. 255 00:18:14,232 --> 00:18:16,899 (bright music) 256 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,400 For decades, society's summit was filled 257 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:21,920 by the revolutionary comrades 258 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,890 of Kim Il-sung and their descendants. 259 00:18:24,890 --> 00:18:26,060 At the bottom, of course, 260 00:18:26,060 --> 00:18:29,523 the families of Japanese collaborators and their heirs. 261 00:18:31,270 --> 00:18:35,050 Between the two, 40 odd subclasses with little hope 262 00:18:35,050 --> 00:18:36,983 of marrying outside their rank. 263 00:18:39,030 --> 00:18:42,330 But the sclerotic end of Kim Il-sung's regime, 264 00:18:42,330 --> 00:18:44,520 the famine under Kim Jong-il, 265 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,610 and the partial disintegration of both state and party 266 00:18:47,610 --> 00:18:50,190 that followed not only shook the country, 267 00:18:50,190 --> 00:18:52,223 but also the social order. 268 00:18:56,830 --> 00:19:00,653 The outcome was more freedom of choice concerning marriage. 269 00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:05,930 Today, the most desirable professions are scientist, 270 00:19:05,930 --> 00:19:09,370 diplomat, military officer, 271 00:19:09,370 --> 00:19:11,653 and businessman, of course. 272 00:19:16,380 --> 00:19:19,620 For years, the pretty policewomen who directed the traffic 273 00:19:19,620 --> 00:19:22,790 were in high demand on the wedding market. 274 00:19:22,790 --> 00:19:26,347 But they are gradually being replaced by traffic lights. 275 00:19:28,785 --> 00:19:32,300 (children clamoring) 276 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:34,300 A couple will then have children 277 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:36,510 whose education will be taken care of 278 00:19:36,510 --> 00:19:39,550 by the state from an early age on. 279 00:19:39,550 --> 00:19:42,200 The country is 100% literate, 280 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,213 a success attributed with pride to the revolution. 281 00:19:46,350 --> 00:19:48,370 The main subjects are maths, physics, 282 00:19:48,370 --> 00:19:52,360 music, singing, Korean, and the lives of the great leaders. 283 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:55,870 The strict selection process starts from kindergarten, 284 00:19:55,870 --> 00:19:58,130 the best pupils spend their holidays 285 00:19:58,130 --> 00:20:00,310 doing sports in the pioneer camps, 286 00:20:00,310 --> 00:20:02,620 which have always been a typical perk 287 00:20:02,620 --> 00:20:04,698 in all socialist countries. 288 00:20:04,698 --> 00:20:08,531 (singing in foreign language) 289 00:20:24,828 --> 00:20:28,745 (speaking in foreign language) 290 00:20:30,260 --> 00:20:31,710 When we arrived at the stadium, 291 00:20:31,710 --> 00:20:34,140 the competition was in full swing, 292 00:20:34,140 --> 00:20:36,083 each side supporting its team. 293 00:20:37,100 --> 00:20:39,620 Note the absence of great leaders badges. 294 00:20:39,620 --> 00:20:40,550 It's the holidays, 295 00:20:40,550 --> 00:20:42,902 and under 16s are not obliged to wear them. 296 00:20:42,902 --> 00:20:46,735 (singing in foreign language) 297 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,011 Then it's time for the tug of war. 298 00:21:01,011 --> 00:21:02,740 (speaking in foreign language) 299 00:21:02,740 --> 00:21:05,460 The evil American soldier in the middle is tough, 300 00:21:05,460 --> 00:21:07,635 he's made it through several tournaments. 301 00:21:07,635 --> 00:21:08,812 (whistle blowing) 302 00:21:08,812 --> 00:21:12,729 (chanting in foreign language) 303 00:21:22,383 --> 00:21:23,603 (speaking in foreign language) 304 00:21:23,603 --> 00:21:26,270 (kids cheering) 305 00:21:33,295 --> 00:21:35,878 (upbeat music) 306 00:21:44,939 --> 00:21:47,522 (bright music) 307 00:21:52,590 --> 00:21:54,920 Some pupils, students, and young couples, 308 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,673 will be given the chance to climb Mount Paektu. 309 00:22:00,230 --> 00:22:02,923 A few years ago, we were able to go there by bus. 310 00:22:04,730 --> 00:22:07,290 This extinct volcano is up in the north 311 00:22:07,290 --> 00:22:09,170 on the Chinese border. 312 00:22:09,170 --> 00:22:10,720 It is a sacred site. 313 00:22:14,185 --> 00:22:16,230 Dangun, the mythical first Korean, 314 00:22:16,230 --> 00:22:18,060 is said to have been born here 315 00:22:18,060 --> 00:22:21,683 from the union between a god and a bear turned into a woman. 316 00:22:23,260 --> 00:22:26,090 Kim Jong-il is said to have been born here, too, 317 00:22:26,090 --> 00:22:27,820 although he was actually born 318 00:22:27,820 --> 00:22:29,963 in Khabarovsk in the Soviet Union. 319 00:22:32,490 --> 00:22:35,263 In short, it's still a site of pilgrimage. 320 00:22:37,510 --> 00:22:41,043 Many youngsters walk several days to reach the summit. 321 00:22:41,043 --> 00:22:43,626 (bright music) 322 00:22:49,243 --> 00:22:52,076 (group clamoring) 323 00:22:53,928 --> 00:22:56,610 At the top, high school students from the capital 324 00:22:56,610 --> 00:22:59,930 in their khaki uniforms queue whilst waiting to descend 325 00:22:59,930 --> 00:23:02,170 to the central lake in the egg-like pods 326 00:23:02,170 --> 00:23:05,227 of a ski lift from an old mountain resort. 327 00:23:05,227 --> 00:23:07,977 (wires creaking) 328 00:23:10,408 --> 00:23:11,327 (group clamoring) 329 00:23:11,327 --> 00:23:12,360 (woman laughing) 330 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:13,983 - Bye. 331 00:23:13,983 --> 00:23:17,816 (singing in foreign language) 332 00:23:40,536 --> 00:23:43,150 (soft music) 333 00:23:43,150 --> 00:23:44,350 - [Narrator] Later, some of them 334 00:23:44,350 --> 00:23:46,550 will go off to do their military service, 335 00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:49,780 which can last one, two, or seven years, 336 00:23:49,780 --> 00:23:52,023 and is known for being no picnic. 337 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,730 Young and tall foreign language speaking officers 338 00:24:02,730 --> 00:24:04,673 will be sent to guard Panmunjom, 339 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,433 the armistice village so often seen on TV. 340 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,840 Caps or fur hats signal that the tensions 341 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,370 between the north and the south 342 00:24:16,370 --> 00:24:19,593 are at their normal level, latent war. 343 00:24:21,530 --> 00:24:25,570 Kevlar helmets signal a maximum state of alert, 344 00:24:25,570 --> 00:24:27,123 which is not that rare. 345 00:24:29,048 --> 00:24:32,131 (audience laughing) 346 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:35,010 Who is a good husband? 347 00:24:35,010 --> 00:24:36,890 How to have a good career. 348 00:24:36,890 --> 00:24:39,200 The people of Pyongyang are much more interested 349 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,270 in these topics than in the long litanies of propaganda. 350 00:24:43,270 --> 00:24:45,180 Getting married is important, 351 00:24:45,180 --> 00:24:48,420 and this is what the sitcoms broadcasted on the giant screen 352 00:24:48,420 --> 00:24:51,160 near the central station are about. 353 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:52,750 Locals are ready to watch them 354 00:24:52,750 --> 00:24:57,483 in the middle of December, tolerating -15 degrees celsius. 355 00:24:58,340 --> 00:25:01,400 A country lass is hesitating between several suitors. 356 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,730 She's plucky, making fun of the army 357 00:25:03,730 --> 00:25:05,573 and patriarchal authority. 358 00:25:06,630 --> 00:25:09,320 The tone is cheeky, full of sexual allusions, 359 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,804 apparently far from accidental. 360 00:25:11,804 --> 00:25:15,721 (speaking in foreign language) 361 00:25:20,710 --> 00:25:23,110 This ad is for the Pyeonghwa car, 362 00:25:23,110 --> 00:25:25,160 which means peace in Korean, 363 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,070 producing corporation with a South Korean firm 364 00:25:28,070 --> 00:25:29,323 close to the Moon sect. 365 00:25:30,228 --> 00:25:31,983 They are copies of Fiats. 366 00:25:33,406 --> 00:25:37,323 (speaking in foreign language) 367 00:25:48,690 --> 00:25:52,410 The sitcoms portray a politically correct world. 368 00:25:52,410 --> 00:25:55,540 The individual only counts as part of a whole. 369 00:25:55,540 --> 00:25:59,060 You have to be a good worker in your collective team. 370 00:25:59,060 --> 00:26:01,280 And in winter, every single person 371 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,700 is responsible for cleaning a stretch of road 372 00:26:03,700 --> 00:26:06,620 that has to be shoveled and swept, day and night, 373 00:26:06,620 --> 00:26:08,813 regardless of the amount of snowfall, 374 00:26:11,780 --> 00:26:14,320 hence these images of female employees 375 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,000 in high heels busy scraping ice off their patch of road 376 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,924 before heading to the office in the biting cold. 377 00:26:20,924 --> 00:26:23,341 (soft music) 378 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,623 (somber music) 379 00:26:46,670 --> 00:26:49,420 The endless war films on North Korean TV 380 00:26:49,420 --> 00:26:51,483 contrast with this peace of mind. 381 00:26:52,580 --> 00:26:55,680 The Korean resistance against the Japanese colonizers, 382 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:59,320 starring one of the many Kim Il-sung lookalikes, 383 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:03,470 the Korean War, the combat against spies, 384 00:27:03,470 --> 00:27:07,250 movies and television always portray the country 385 00:27:07,250 --> 00:27:08,243 on a war footing. 386 00:27:10,613 --> 00:27:14,446 (singing in foreign language) 387 00:27:16,751 --> 00:27:19,810 (bright music) 388 00:27:19,810 --> 00:27:22,760 For some unknown reason, we had to wait for years 389 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,413 before our guards allowed us to film in parks. 390 00:27:26,413 --> 00:27:30,246 (singing in foreign language) 391 00:27:33,230 --> 00:27:36,560 Moranbong Park is the local central park, 392 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,083 everyone's favorite place for Sunday outings. 393 00:27:41,283 --> 00:27:44,990 Are these someday painters a state a secret? 394 00:27:44,990 --> 00:27:47,800 (speaking in foreign language) 395 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,050 Beyond fans of still life, what else can be seen? 396 00:27:52,027 --> 00:27:53,444 Shooting ranges. 397 00:27:53,444 --> 00:27:56,130 (gun firing) (electronic beeping) 398 00:27:56,130 --> 00:27:56,963 Dances. 399 00:27:59,780 --> 00:28:01,123 Lots of picnics. 400 00:28:03,660 --> 00:28:04,520 On bank holidays, 401 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:08,044 the state sometimes hands out meat and beer. 402 00:28:08,044 --> 00:28:11,961 (speaking in foreign language) 403 00:28:22,465 --> 00:28:26,040 (singing in foreign language) 404 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,550 These pensioners are having a great time, 405 00:28:28,550 --> 00:28:31,663 free from family and professional obligations. 406 00:28:39,070 --> 00:28:42,653 Everyone dances in a style rather hard to define, 407 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:45,673 bizarre, almost shamanic. 408 00:28:48,481 --> 00:28:51,380 (soft music) 409 00:28:51,380 --> 00:28:56,380 It's strange, in 1956 the filmmaker Chris Marker 410 00:28:56,510 --> 00:28:58,520 was part of the first French delegation 411 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,120 to visit the north after the Korean War, 412 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,710 had filmed almost identical scenes 413 00:29:03,710 --> 00:29:05,623 danced by workers in a train factory. 414 00:29:06,607 --> 00:29:09,357 (dramatic music) 415 00:29:16,410 --> 00:29:21,410 (woman laughing) (speaking in foreign language) 416 00:29:41,390 --> 00:29:45,223 (singing in foreign language) 417 00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:55,210 A spontaneous singing competition 418 00:29:55,210 --> 00:29:57,768 has sparked amongst these strollers. 419 00:29:57,768 --> 00:30:00,685 (crowd applauding) 420 00:30:08,745 --> 00:30:12,662 (speaking in foreign language) 421 00:30:22,090 --> 00:30:25,630 In Korea, everyone knows all the songs. 422 00:30:25,630 --> 00:30:27,270 Singing is communicating 423 00:30:27,270 --> 00:30:29,870 and not singing is to be alone. 424 00:30:29,870 --> 00:30:31,550 Unthinkable. 425 00:30:31,550 --> 00:30:33,774 Who would be that antisocial? 426 00:30:33,774 --> 00:30:37,607 (singing in foreign language) 427 00:30:57,542 --> 00:31:00,459 (crowd applauding) 428 00:31:06,781 --> 00:31:08,700 (soft music) 429 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:12,043 The neighborhood next to the park is nicknamed Dubai. 430 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,103 At first sight, it looks like a dormitory town. 431 00:31:18,550 --> 00:31:19,423 Think again. 432 00:31:20,580 --> 00:31:24,190 So many things can be found behind these tinted windows, 433 00:31:24,190 --> 00:31:28,100 electronic stores, chemists, banqueting rooms, 434 00:31:28,100 --> 00:31:32,426 supermarkets, and a huge selection of bars and restaurants. 435 00:31:32,426 --> 00:31:35,259 (classical music) 436 00:31:45,408 --> 00:31:48,325 (glasses clinking) 437 00:31:56,189 --> 00:31:59,106 (crowd applauding) 438 00:32:10,775 --> 00:32:13,390 (soft music) 439 00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:17,440 This TV ad is singing the praises of a luxury supermarket, 440 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,760 so heavily air-conditioned the staff wear puffer jackets. 441 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:23,560 Everything is for sale. 442 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,210 Swiss chocolate, olive oil, 443 00:32:25,210 --> 00:32:28,543 French and Italian wines, imported fruit. 444 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:32,420 The restaurants upstairs 445 00:32:32,420 --> 00:32:33,920 target the (speaking in foreign language), 446 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,800 the money masters, as the nouveau riche are called here, 447 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,353 serving up sushi, cappuccino, a $20 steak. 448 00:32:42,190 --> 00:32:46,160 North Korea is no longer an anti-consumerist state, 449 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,708 quite the opposite for those who can afford it. 450 00:32:49,708 --> 00:32:53,564 (singing in foreign language) 451 00:32:53,564 --> 00:32:56,042 (motor chugging) 452 00:32:56,042 --> 00:32:58,625 (upbeat music) 453 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,430 There aren't many culinary critics 454 00:33:05,430 --> 00:33:07,935 in the North Korean press as yet, 455 00:33:07,935 --> 00:33:11,080 but given the number of restaurants, barbecue joints, 456 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,960 and snack bars around the country, it shouldn't take long. 457 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,150 Is it because everyone has all too vivid memory 458 00:33:18,150 --> 00:33:20,020 of the Arduous March, 459 00:33:20,020 --> 00:33:23,660 the famine that caused 500,000 to a million deaths 460 00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:27,720 and ravaged the country from 1994 to 2000, 461 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,163 that they're looking to make up for it now? 462 00:33:31,050 --> 00:33:34,683 Back then, even the word restaurant became obscene. 463 00:33:35,660 --> 00:33:37,550 When Kim Jong-un came to power, 464 00:33:37,550 --> 00:33:38,700 he promised the Koreans they 465 00:33:38,700 --> 00:33:41,000 would never have to tighten their belts again. 466 00:33:42,780 --> 00:33:43,863 So, they eat. 467 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,210 It's a sign of success, an obsession, 468 00:33:50,210 --> 00:33:51,843 almost as much as in the south. 469 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:57,760 Excerpt from a press release 470 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,053 from the official North Korean news agency, 471 00:34:01,620 --> 00:34:03,330 from the second to the fourth of April, 472 00:34:03,330 --> 00:34:05,370 the 23rd Cooking Festival took place 473 00:34:05,370 --> 00:34:07,870 at the House of Pasture in Pyongyang 474 00:34:07,870 --> 00:34:09,520 marking the Day of the Sun, 475 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,117 the birthday of President Kim Il-sung. 476 00:34:12,117 --> 00:34:14,700 (bright music) 477 00:34:20,210 --> 00:34:23,220 Popular too are TV cooker shows, 478 00:34:23,220 --> 00:34:24,810 competitions among housewives 479 00:34:24,810 --> 00:34:26,993 to see who makes the best bibimbap, 480 00:34:28,020 --> 00:34:30,173 and recipe apps on local iPads. 481 00:34:42,310 --> 00:34:46,373 On the streets, small stands sell ice cream or donuts. 482 00:34:47,580 --> 00:34:50,640 Most are sole traders, not entirely private, 483 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,400 they generally belong to a large public group 484 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:55,080 but are managed autonomously 485 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,700 and pocket the profits. (register whirring) 486 00:34:58,700 --> 00:35:01,610 The head of South Korea's Secret Services 487 00:35:01,610 --> 00:35:04,510 recently declared that 40% of businesses 488 00:35:04,510 --> 00:35:07,530 in North Korea are autonomous. 489 00:35:07,530 --> 00:35:10,400 That is as many as in Hungary and Poland 490 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:12,590 before the fall of the Berlin Wall. 491 00:35:13,793 --> 00:35:16,781 (speaking in foreign language) 492 00:35:16,781 --> 00:35:19,600 (horn honking) 493 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,183 (upbeat music) 494 00:35:47,410 --> 00:35:49,830 This collective farm close to Sariwon, 495 00:35:49,830 --> 00:35:52,500 100 kilometers south of Pyongyang, 496 00:35:52,500 --> 00:35:54,843 produces mainly rice and vegetables. 497 00:35:56,570 --> 00:35:59,250 It has 1,500 farm workers 498 00:35:59,250 --> 00:36:02,173 split into small teams of four to six people. 499 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,460 In Korea, motorized cultivators are rare. 500 00:36:07,460 --> 00:36:09,393 Even an ox is a luxury. 501 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,030 Before the last reforms, 502 00:36:14,030 --> 00:36:17,360 the state took 70 to 80% of the production 503 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:19,560 from the people's communes. 504 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,500 Today, this farm keeps over 60%, 505 00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:23,910 some of which will be sold 506 00:36:23,910 --> 00:36:27,006 at one of the country's 400 free markets. 507 00:36:27,006 --> 00:36:29,589 (bright music) 508 00:36:35,255 --> 00:36:38,005 (motor rumbling) 509 00:36:45,430 --> 00:36:48,020 Whilst filming out in the rice fields, 510 00:36:48,020 --> 00:36:50,815 we heard music. (singing in foreign language) 511 00:36:50,815 --> 00:36:53,232 (soft music) 512 00:37:03,964 --> 00:37:07,730 (speaking in foreign language) 513 00:37:07,730 --> 00:37:10,313 (all laughing) 514 00:37:23,321 --> 00:37:26,290 (woman laughing) 515 00:37:26,290 --> 00:37:27,800 At first we honestly thought 516 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,233 that this had all been put on for us, 517 00:37:31,070 --> 00:37:33,340 but we checked and we were wrong. 518 00:37:33,340 --> 00:37:35,010 This was the real deal, 519 00:37:35,010 --> 00:37:40,010 a rehearsal also designed to encourage the peasant comrades. 520 00:37:40,094 --> 00:37:42,677 (upbeat music) 521 00:37:47,971 --> 00:37:51,888 (speaking in foreign language) 522 00:38:52,475 --> 00:38:57,475 (singing in foreign language) (soft music) 523 00:39:20,750 --> 00:39:23,550 On National Day, this amateur group will sing 524 00:39:23,550 --> 00:39:25,643 in front of its people's commune. 525 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:28,580 Meanwhile in Pyongyang, 526 00:39:28,580 --> 00:39:30,410 people will parade before the leader 527 00:39:30,410 --> 00:39:33,823 to celebrate the foundation of the state 70 years ago. 528 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,930 Soon, North Korea will have been in existence 529 00:39:38,930 --> 00:39:41,173 for longer than the Soviet Union. 530 00:39:43,746 --> 00:39:46,663 (triumphant music) 531 00:39:51,890 --> 00:39:55,633 If there is something North Koreans excel at, it's parades. 532 00:39:56,900 --> 00:39:59,580 At each event, the world's military experts 533 00:39:59,580 --> 00:40:03,430 agonize over which missile will show on which vehicle, 534 00:40:03,430 --> 00:40:07,606 imported in violation of which UN sanction. 535 00:40:07,606 --> 00:40:09,740 Others analyze the slogans 536 00:40:09,740 --> 00:40:11,550 or the differences between parades 537 00:40:11,550 --> 00:40:14,893 under Kim, the father, the son, and the grandson. 538 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,040 But one thing always remains, 539 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:20,393 the people will be shown cheering the leaders. 540 00:40:21,850 --> 00:40:25,854 It takes weeks of training to make these living mosaics. 541 00:40:25,854 --> 00:40:30,854 (all cheering) (bright music) 542 00:40:43,176 --> 00:40:45,759 (upbeat music) 543 00:40:47,940 --> 00:40:51,200 Normally, rehearsals should not be filmed. 544 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:54,590 North Korea only likes to show things that are finished, 545 00:40:54,590 --> 00:40:59,030 be it a choir, a painting, a missile, or a reform. 546 00:40:59,030 --> 00:41:00,113 But how not to? 547 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,570 Since 5:30 a.m., schoolchildren and students 548 00:41:04,570 --> 00:41:07,030 have transformed every square in the city 549 00:41:07,030 --> 00:41:10,023 into a rehearsal site for the next parade. 550 00:41:11,950 --> 00:41:15,500 And since Pyongyang's traffic plan has all the main roads 551 00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:17,930 power through Kim Il Sung Square, 552 00:41:17,930 --> 00:41:19,350 and please be sure to slow down 553 00:41:19,350 --> 00:41:21,740 in front of the portraits of the great leaders, 554 00:41:21,740 --> 00:41:23,810 the temptation to get our telephones 555 00:41:23,810 --> 00:41:25,793 and cameras out is hard. 556 00:41:31,810 --> 00:41:33,093 Today is Sunday. 557 00:41:34,060 --> 00:41:36,150 For years, the weekend was short, 558 00:41:36,150 --> 00:41:39,410 Saturday being reserved for political education 559 00:41:39,410 --> 00:41:42,350 and self-criticism sessions. 560 00:41:42,350 --> 00:41:46,683 But from the mid-2000s, everything became more relaxed. 561 00:41:47,550 --> 00:41:50,262 The weekend is a full weekend again. 562 00:41:50,262 --> 00:41:54,179 (speaking in foreign language) 563 00:42:12,210 --> 00:42:14,478 We watched the portraits watching us. 564 00:42:14,478 --> 00:42:16,290 (bell dinging) 565 00:42:16,290 --> 00:42:19,690 During our first trips here, we were like all foreigners, 566 00:42:19,690 --> 00:42:21,963 obsessed by their omnipresence. 567 00:42:25,020 --> 00:42:28,183 And then, the more we came, the less we noticed them. 568 00:42:32,430 --> 00:42:35,380 The same doesn't go for North Koreans. 569 00:42:35,380 --> 00:42:37,400 Cyclists dismount from their bikes 570 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,370 and turn to look at the statues of the leaders. 571 00:42:40,370 --> 00:42:42,250 Cars slow down, 572 00:42:42,250 --> 00:42:46,003 passersby turn their heads towards their effigies. 573 00:42:46,003 --> 00:42:48,420 (soft music) 574 00:42:53,220 --> 00:42:54,750 A young woman from the upper class 575 00:42:54,750 --> 00:42:58,100 once tried to explain what she felt about the leaders. 576 00:42:58,100 --> 00:43:00,863 This was just after Kim Jong-il's death. 577 00:43:01,810 --> 00:43:05,530 It's a bit like you with your Jesus, she said. 578 00:43:05,530 --> 00:43:08,933 Except for us, Jesus would also be one of the family. 579 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:27,410 In summer, when it was very hot, 580 00:43:27,410 --> 00:43:29,630 more than once we saw a fan 581 00:43:29,630 --> 00:43:32,097 cooling the portrait of the leaders. 582 00:43:32,097 --> 00:43:34,597 (fan blowing) 583 00:43:38,060 --> 00:43:42,050 And then nearby, more rehearsals for another parade 584 00:43:42,050 --> 00:43:44,603 for another birthday with or without the leader. 585 00:43:45,770 --> 00:43:48,040 A young man told us that when he was a boy, 586 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:50,790 all you had to do was have an elder 587 00:43:50,790 --> 00:43:53,810 hand you his torch flame, symbol of the revolution 588 00:43:53,810 --> 00:43:56,853 being passed on from generation to generation. 589 00:43:57,878 --> 00:43:59,840 But for the last 10 years, 590 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,600 it has all become much more complicated. 591 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:05,920 You have now to compose moving giant letters, 592 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:07,420 which is much more stunning, 593 00:44:07,420 --> 00:44:11,001 but woe betide you if you make a mistake. 594 00:44:11,001 --> 00:44:13,584 (bright music) 595 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:30,470 North Korean art, 596 00:44:30,470 --> 00:44:34,060 here a fresco at the entrance to a sports shoe factory, 597 00:44:34,060 --> 00:44:36,280 is designed to portray the country 598 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:39,340 the way the party would like it to look. 599 00:44:39,340 --> 00:44:43,408 It's never false, but often more of a dream than reality. 600 00:44:43,408 --> 00:44:48,408 (soft music) (machine hissing) 601 00:44:55,050 --> 00:44:59,170 In the Ryuwon factory, the weeping willow paradise, 602 00:44:59,170 --> 00:45:02,950 700 workers, 70% of whom are women, 603 00:45:02,950 --> 00:45:07,923 produce at their own pace 1.5 million sneakers a year. 604 00:45:11,650 --> 00:45:12,483 For years, 605 00:45:12,483 --> 00:45:15,513 local production is conspicuous in its conformity. 606 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,380 Now the factory clearly wants to draw inspiration 607 00:45:20,380 --> 00:45:22,840 from the best styles made abroad. 608 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,650 In marketing speak, benchmarking. 609 00:45:29,635 --> 00:45:33,552 (speaking in foreign language) 610 00:46:07,737 --> 00:46:10,349 (happy music) 611 00:46:10,349 --> 00:46:14,350 Copying foreign styles, reducing importations, 612 00:46:14,350 --> 00:46:17,160 especially when they're struck by sanctions, 613 00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:20,940 there are many good reasons for favoring local production. 614 00:46:20,940 --> 00:46:24,850 But for the plan to work, people have to want it. 615 00:46:24,850 --> 00:46:29,323 One new brand is called AdiBas with three stripes and a B. 616 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,783 In North Korea, nationalism is still a key sales driver. 617 00:46:39,310 --> 00:46:41,653 Clothes-wise, progress seems more modest. 618 00:46:42,930 --> 00:46:44,750 But in the early 1990s, 619 00:46:44,750 --> 00:46:47,850 a foreign ministry magazine was still proudly defending 620 00:46:47,850 --> 00:46:50,220 the goal of the monochrome society 621 00:46:50,220 --> 00:46:52,163 somewhere between gray and brown. 622 00:46:53,860 --> 00:46:55,163 Times have changed. 623 00:47:06,540 --> 00:47:08,040 Let's visit the bowling alley. 624 00:47:09,016 --> 00:47:12,400 (whimsical music) 625 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:14,330 Very popular in the 1980s, 626 00:47:14,330 --> 00:47:17,293 bowling has recently become fashionable again. 627 00:47:18,854 --> 00:47:21,521 (balls rolling) 628 00:47:25,361 --> 00:47:30,361 (pins falling) (crowd cheering) 629 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:34,893 Upstairs, there are real slot machines. 630 00:47:36,170 --> 00:47:39,033 Downstairs, a panorama of today's trends. 631 00:47:51,740 --> 00:47:53,730 If it wasn't for these two slogans, 632 00:47:53,730 --> 00:47:56,693 we could almost be anywhere in Asia. 633 00:48:02,720 --> 00:48:05,223 This elegant young woman is an office worker. 634 00:48:07,457 --> 00:48:11,374 (speaking in foreign language) 635 00:48:51,169 --> 00:48:53,757 (crowd applauding) 636 00:48:53,757 --> 00:48:56,340 (upbeat music) 637 00:48:57,667 --> 00:49:00,250 (horn honking) 638 00:49:15,254 --> 00:49:18,171 (insects chirping) 639 00:49:20,248 --> 00:49:22,831 (bright music) 640 00:49:24,890 --> 00:49:28,410 At this motorway rest area, a bus full of Chinese tourists 641 00:49:28,410 --> 00:49:31,811 has stopped on its way to Kaesong, the border town. 642 00:49:31,811 --> 00:49:34,290 (crowd clamoring) 643 00:49:34,290 --> 00:49:37,990 In 2017, these visitors had all but disappeared 644 00:49:37,990 --> 00:49:39,253 due to the sanctions. 645 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:43,060 In 2018, they are back. 646 00:49:43,060 --> 00:49:45,940 Almost 1,000 Chinese tourists per day 647 00:49:45,940 --> 00:49:47,780 drawn by the peace and quiet, 648 00:49:47,780 --> 00:49:51,340 the nature, and sometimes a touch of nostalgia 649 00:49:51,340 --> 00:49:55,513 for this country that reminds them of China 40 years ago. 650 00:49:59,090 --> 00:50:00,400 It may seem strange, 651 00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:04,153 but tourism trading is very popular in North Korea nowadays. 652 00:50:06,140 --> 00:50:10,670 Ultimately, the country is hoping for 30% annual growth 653 00:50:10,670 --> 00:50:12,023 in the number of visitors. 654 00:50:14,290 --> 00:50:17,123 (water splashing) 655 00:50:18,204 --> 00:50:21,193 Here and there, we stumble upon local tourists. 656 00:50:24,185 --> 00:50:28,018 (singing in foreign language) 657 00:50:35,287 --> 00:50:37,246 (women laughing) 658 00:50:37,246 --> 00:50:41,163 (speaking in foreign language) 659 00:50:51,722 --> 00:50:54,472 (women laughing) 660 00:50:56,644 --> 00:50:59,227 (bright music) 661 00:51:04,770 --> 00:51:08,683 In autumn, Wonsan Beach on the East Sea is deserted. 662 00:51:16,350 --> 00:51:18,313 Out of season, all is calm. 663 00:51:19,580 --> 00:51:23,080 Except for two soldiers, who for once we are allowed to film 664 00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:24,973 due to their lack of uniform. 665 00:51:28,679 --> 00:51:33,679 (whistle blowing) (crowd clamoring) 666 00:51:33,740 --> 00:51:36,213 And here is the same beach in summertime. 667 00:51:40,170 --> 00:51:42,363 On the right, the paying area. 668 00:51:44,250 --> 00:51:46,330 On the left, the people's area, 669 00:51:46,330 --> 00:51:48,393 which costs just a few pennies. 670 00:51:53,838 --> 00:51:56,120 (water splashing) 671 00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:58,300 Whether they're here with their work units, 672 00:51:58,300 --> 00:52:00,660 fellow students, or the whole family, 673 00:52:00,660 --> 00:52:02,539 everyone enjoys themselves. 674 00:52:02,539 --> 00:52:05,039 (happy music) 675 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:09,713 (singing in foreign language) 676 00:52:11,110 --> 00:52:13,300 People come by truck or on bicycles 677 00:52:13,300 --> 00:52:14,643 for the day or for a week. 678 00:52:15,570 --> 00:52:17,020 It's often the only chance 679 00:52:17,020 --> 00:52:19,317 they're given to leave their workplace. 680 00:52:24,162 --> 00:52:28,079 (speaking in foreign language) 681 00:53:02,220 --> 00:53:06,066 On the horizon, one can see the dozens of future hotels, 682 00:53:06,066 --> 00:53:09,183 another one of the current leader's priorities. 683 00:53:11,010 --> 00:53:14,520 When Kim Jong-un met Donald Trump in Singapore, 684 00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:16,810 the real estate expert found the location 685 00:53:16,810 --> 00:53:19,043 and the views both amazing. 686 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:25,240 In 2015 and 2016 already, 687 00:53:25,240 --> 00:53:28,370 North Korean delegations had discretely combed 688 00:53:28,370 --> 00:53:31,480 the French Riviera and Mediterranean coasts 689 00:53:31,480 --> 00:53:33,840 to see which kind of seaside resort 690 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:35,973 would be best adapted to their country. 691 00:53:41,120 --> 00:53:43,440 The manager of a famous local fish restaurant 692 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:45,867 is delighted about these prospects. 693 00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:52,757 (speaking in foreign language) 694 00:54:17,428 --> 00:54:20,178 (woman laughing) 695 00:54:31,978 --> 00:54:34,561 (bell dinging) 696 00:54:42,968 --> 00:54:45,947 (soft music) 697 00:54:45,947 --> 00:54:47,640 Unspoiled nature, 698 00:54:47,640 --> 00:54:50,933 except of course in mining and nuclear regions. 699 00:54:51,770 --> 00:54:55,743 Farming that's almost fertilizer-free due to the embargo. 700 00:54:57,370 --> 00:54:58,740 Little light pollution 701 00:54:58,740 --> 00:55:01,323 due to frequent electricity shortages. 702 00:55:03,310 --> 00:55:04,760 It seems surprising that nobody 703 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:07,460 has suggested North Korea sell itself 704 00:55:07,460 --> 00:55:10,563 as one of the world's number one organic countries. 705 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:16,280 Untouched for the past 65 years, 706 00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:20,933 the DMZ has conserved world unique biodiversity. 707 00:55:26,630 --> 00:55:29,180 But so far, this doesn't seem to be a card 708 00:55:29,180 --> 00:55:32,563 Pyongyang wants to play, which is kind of a shame. 709 00:55:35,365 --> 00:55:40,365 (speaking in foreign language) (happy music) 710 00:55:48,939 --> 00:55:52,030 (energetic music) 711 00:55:52,030 --> 00:55:55,773 Abroad, many people see North Korea as an anomaly. 712 00:55:56,800 --> 00:55:59,333 It sees itself as a unique country, 713 00:56:00,210 --> 00:56:01,453 which it certainly is. 714 00:56:03,300 --> 00:56:05,760 What strikes us is the tireless repetition 715 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:08,710 of the same songs in schools and buses, 716 00:56:08,710 --> 00:56:13,390 the same slogans in the streets, the same films on TV. 717 00:56:13,390 --> 00:56:16,920 It all makes for a country that loves its isolation, 718 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:20,100 following its very own pace. 719 00:56:20,100 --> 00:56:22,380 A country that's impenetrable, 720 00:56:22,380 --> 00:56:26,450 frustrating, tiresome, but inhabited by Koreans 721 00:56:26,450 --> 00:56:29,433 who are often curious and always full of life, 722 00:56:31,340 --> 00:56:34,830 inhabitants who are changing fast, fast, hurry, hurry. 723 00:56:34,830 --> 00:56:37,000 One of the Korean's favorite words 724 00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:39,223 in both the north and the south. 725 00:56:40,280 --> 00:56:44,073 Their tastes are changing, as are their expectations. 726 00:56:45,840 --> 00:56:50,590 Who knows, maybe our vision of them will change too 727 00:56:50,590 --> 00:56:52,168 one day. 728 00:56:52,168 --> 00:56:54,585 (soft music) 729 00:57:23,065 --> 00:57:25,648 (horn honking)