Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
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)
52464
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.