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North Korea: A Day in the Life

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Although this film is described as following a 'typical family' through a typical day in their life, we know that the family in this film had to be hand picked and very likely trained for the filmmakers. Still, that in itself speaks volumes about how tightly controlled everything - and everyone - is. I won't go into details because the descriptions of life in this hellish country can't possibly compete with the images. The thing that makes it all so surreal is that what we see as a nightmare way of life is something that the North Koreans see as enviable. They're so out of touch with the rest of the world they really do believe they have a model society. Of course, this place isn't hellish in the way that Sudan or Afghanistan seems hellish. Everything in North Korea seems incredibly clean and orderly to the point of sterility, and the entire population seems to have been replaced by the Pod People from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Even the smallest children are incredibly quiet and subservient. I had to admit I was almost impressed by the sight of a Kindergarten classroom full of still, silent children lined up along the walls like glass dolls, until I remembered; they're children - they're supposed to be loud and unruly! I have to wonder how the teachers do it; is it Ritalin or... I don't think I really want to know. It's definitely spooky.

Spooky is the key word here. There's nothing that one can compare life here to other than maybe a Gulag run by Moonies, but what we are seeing is only what we're allowed to see. I can't imagine what the lives they don't want us to see must be like! The documentary has no narration, which is smart; we should let our senses guide us. But I actually found the extras on the DVD even more compelling than the film, particularly the discussion with the factory workers after the director came back and screened the film for them a year later (the film is a Dutch production). The translation by the interpreter at one point is hysterically wrong, which in itself is a sign of how self-censorship is automatic.

At the end of the day, the thing that is most disturbing in this film is that all the people we meet are kind and likeable and the kids are cute as buttons but ... they think of us Americans as monstrous dogs who deserve to be wiped off the face of the Earth (usually stated with about as much passion as ordering one's dinner off a menu). How much the people in that nation really believe that and how much of it is a polite regurgitation of propaganda for the cameras I don't know. I refuse to hate these people; I'm sure most of them are miserable. But I get chills down the back of my neck when I try to imagine even half the population believing even half the propaganda they're told. This is an uncomfortable but extremely fascinating documentary!

North Korea fascinates due to it being the most isolated (by its own choice) and most severely repressive nation on Earth. There are, to my knowledge, three insightful DVDs on the subject: `A State of Mind', `National Geographic - Inside North Korea' and `North Korea: A Day in the Life'. I have purchased all three. An important point to note is that any footage allowed out of North Korea is almost exclusively of the capital, Pyongyang, which is far from being representative of life in the country as a whole. Only a fraction of the population are specially selected to live there; even for these `privilaged' souls life is bleak and dominated by political propaganda.
`A State of Mind' concentrates on the preparations of two young gymnasts for the showpiece Mass Games performance. Of the three, this DVD gives by far the best and deepest insight into the brainwashed mindset of the North Koreans, with its excellent documentary narration and carefully selected material. It is also important to bear in mind however that this film only shows what is approved by the regime - all the despicable aspects of the North Korean experience are not covered. There also has remarkable footage of the Mass Games of course and the grand military parades (both visually stunning) that seem to be the focus of life there.
`National Geographic - Inside North Korea', being told from our outsider's perspective, is the only complete and balanced overview of North Korea here. It puts North Korea on the map with its historical context, draws widely on footage from many sources and - free of regime censorship - shows as best it can the true horror story that the regime tries to hide at all costs. Information presented on health standards, nutrition and the extensive concentration camp system are quite staggering.
`North Korea: A Day in the Life' is what the title says it is; it follows a day in the life of a `typical' (regime selected) family in Pyongyang. This is not narrated and concentrates solely on the daily routine, so really brings across the bleakness of these people's life. Again this officially-approved film only shows what is approved by the regime. The carefully selected images shown (for example the table overloaded with food in a city known to be tightly rationed) and the often unreal scripted dialogue only really serve to show how out-of-touch the regime is which choreographed it. This film does show well the grinding inefficiencies of North Korean life, but all-in-all compares poorly with `A State of Mind'.
For a good understanding of North Korea, I recommend viewing `National Geographic - Inside North Korea' and `A State of Mind', in that order.

There can be no question about it Pieter Fleury's North Korea: A Day in the Life is a propaganda piece. Never before had a western journalist been given so much access to a country that is traditionally cloaked in secrecy. But propaganda aside the film does give its viewers a look inside this closed world.

Following the daily activities of the Hong family we get a glimpse of what their life is like. Ms. Hong works in a textile factory and is constantly being observed by the government and her fellow workers as we witness power outages and productivity meetings in which the workers berate themselves and their fellow workers for lack of productivity and mistakes. The problems are generally blamed on the Americans who children are taught to hate from an early age. The song mother and child sing on the way to school is chilling.

The family's young daughter goes to school where she learns of the goodness of dictator Kim Jong Il (the General) through a parable of a pair of boots that he gave up as a child so he could wear wet sneakers like his comrades. The school day is completely regimented and the children come across as robots parroting the party line.

The father spends his day in class learning English and not much else is shown concerning him except that he sweeps the street in front of the statue of the General on his way home. An extra feature says that such work is noticed by the government.

Fleury says in an interview that the purpose of the film was to build a bridge between countries by humanizing the people and by showing them laugh. This is shown in the film but what comes across even more is the sterile environment of repression. These are normal people carrying on normal activities in an abnormal world.

See this film for what it is an unflinching look at a world many of us thankfully will never experience.

I have a mixed review of this DVD. For most people, I would recommend instead getting the National Geocgraphic video. I recently ordered both and watched the two almost back-to-back, and much of the video was the same. The National Geographic video, however, was narrated very well.

On the plus side for this video, however, this DVD had SOME new footage, and it was not narrated (that can be a plus for some people). For people who are avid "North Korea watchers" or researchers, it may very well be worth a look. Since those folks may not need a voiceover explaining what they're watching, the lack of narration may be a bonus. As D. Morris alluded, however, the average person will find this DVD boring.

This movie shows a day in the life of a typical (or typical government approved for display) North Korean family. There is no narration, and really none seems needed. It's almost morbidly fascinating to watch just as raw footage edited together.

We see the family eating breakfast together, and then the mother, father and child go their separate ways. The mother takes her child to school singing a song of hatred toward America, and then reports for duty at what looks like a textile plant that manufactures outer coats for the military. Here we see the typical day of sewing the same stiches the same way every day while inspiring North Korean music plays over the PA system. Of course, the day is broken up into segments, just as is the day of the child in school and the husband in his English class.

So, it's really three "days" running in parallel, ending with a family gathering to hear an elderly war hero telling stories.

Highlights, for me anyway, include:

The staff meeting at the textile plant where the varous officers berate themselves for their errors.

The English class where the husband and his fellow students seem to be actually having fun. It surprised me that anyone takes English class in North Korea.

And, perhaps the most pathetic, the story of how the Glorious Leader (or whatever they call him) as a child refused to wear the new boots his mother made for him, prefering rather to suffer with wet sneakers like his comrades who didn't have new boots. Better to have wet feet with community than dry feet alone! Or to put it another way, misery loves company, which seems to be the founding and most important rule of life in North Korea.

Not only do we get to see the "story of the wet sneakers" told to a group of young school children, but we get to see the teacher's meeting where teacher go over and over this story and analyse it in detail as if it's the most important thing in the world to teach to a child.

What would have happened if the Glorious Leader has rather figured out a way to mass-manufacture warm boots for everyone and sell them at a low price? Well, then everyone would have warm boots and the Glorious Leader would have made a lot of money and then we'd be in...America.

So, I recommend everyone invest the 48 minutes or so to watch this and see what the workers' paradise North Korea looks like from the point of view of an "average" family. Better yet, watch it with wet sneakers on.

This documentary obviously was made under North Korean supervision, and nobody should assume it represents the life of average North Koreans. Filming was limited to Pyongyang - North Korea's propaganda 'show city,' followed a selected three-generation family living in a 2-bedroom apartment that included a Korean War veteran, and the workplace filmed was also picked and approved in advance. The producer reported he was not allowed to show poverty or private enterprise markets - these would be evidence that the state had failed. It was also interesting that while filming in a store, it soon filled with 'shoppers,' as noted by the narrator. Nonetheless, the material was worth watching. Pictures and statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il were everywhere.

One segment showed programs on Korean TV - cooking, a chemistry lesson about the element fluorine, construction work, and anti-American patriotic propaganda. (Americans are blamed for energy shortages and all other problems - a handy economic scapegoat to excuse non-performance.) Another segment showed what seemed to be old photos of N.K. air force flying - not likely current because of energy shortages.

The oldest son attended English classes. Class size was rather large, the teacher capable, and the class was enthusiastic, reasonably knowledgeable, and conducted entirely in English.

The kindergarten class posted pupil progress prominently on the wall, and included indoctrination on the life and contributions of the "Great Leader," "Our General," etc. An example was how he took off his beloved boots to wear wet rags like the others. The lesson was reviewed and reinforced ahead of time in a teachers' meeting.

Viewers see the mother taking her young daughter to kindergarten and teaching her an anti-American song glorifying the Korean military. The grandfather reeks of American hatred, and can only speak of alleged American atrocities during the Korean War - undoubtedly making a credible impact on the rest. The mother the proceeds on the Pyongyang subway to work - other accounts purport that while the subway facility is grand, it is little used in day-to-day life. At work she and other workers are greeted by loudspeakers blaring out patriotic enthusiasm. Work begins with a meeting summarizing the prior day's results and the goals for the day. Unexpected power outages are frequent, blamed on America, and countered by a backup generator that always takes awhile to get going. The factory backdrop was a large war mural. A management meeting included a self-criticism by one manager apologizing for power problems and vowing to do better; it seemed to have a greater proportion of female managers than typical for the U.S. Workers took a break at one point to engage in outdoor group exercises. The management style seemed primarily that of 'exhortation' to do more, with little evident analysis and problem prevention. After work the staff stayed and sang patriotic songs, and management participated.

At the end we learn that cleaning areas around The Great Leader's statue was voluntary, not 'did not go unnoticed.' The factory workers were shown what had been filmed of them - they were positive towards the results, though hoped for more laughter in future filming.

As many problems as America has, after watching this and Lisa Ling's's Inside North Korea I thank God Alimighty I live in a free country and am not a mind numbed robot. This was absolutley chilling and frighting to see what life is really like on the other side of fence. It broke my heart to see those poor kids in that kindergarden and how they are being lied to by that looneytunes nutcase dictator "the dear leader" Kim L Sung. God bless America and thank goodness for freedom

Propaganda is a true art form in North Korea, and the video, "North Korea, and North Korea: A Day in the Life" is no exception. The video portrays the life of a prominent, nearly ideal, North Korean family going through its day. It begins with the mother preparing a bountiful feast of kimchi, rice, soup with a full square of diced tofu, and Korean pancakes with soy sauce. The young son dutifully polishes the portraits of Kim Il Sung (father, "Great Leader"), Kim Jong Il (son, "The General"), and Kim Jong Suk (Mother, and Patriotic Heroine). The mother takes her daughter to school while singing an anti-American, patriotic song. The video follows the mother to work through the subway and shows the mother working in a coat factory sewing with a Singer sewing machine. The documentary does include the problem in North Korea of frequent power outages, but it portrays them as the result of foreign imperialism, mostly the fault of the United States. The son attends an English class for prominent children of party members and afterwards, dutifully sweeps the steps in front of the statue of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung in Kim Il Sung square, even after dark. One wonders after watching the video, where is the father in this ideal family.

While the viewer should understand the entire day is scripted, this should not be a reason not to watch the video. The scripting tells much about the country. First, the revolutionary spirit and theme throughout pointedly shows the fierce national pride and the love for the Great Leader and the General. Note the conversation of the teen-aged son and his friends as they enter the school/university. The friends ask if the son watched television last night, "that show with the 12-year old actor", but the ideal son did not have time to watch television because he was too busy studying. Note the meal eaten in the beginning - the amount of food on the table is at least twice what 4 people could eat, plus the family is engulfing the food. The mother is providing instructions on how to eat some of the food "you should try the kimchi" and "you should eat this pancake with soy sauce", pointing out these luxuries. The English teacher's conversation with the woman whose sister's husband has no arms because he bravely jumped on a grenade during a military training accident is another interesting script piece. Again, there is meaning in the female maintenance team lead conducting self-criticism at the board meeting, saying she is the one responsible for the poor condition of the machines and for not training her workers, but vowing to make it better! Another example is the textile ladies working diligently to determine the problem with the coats, then working together when an error is discovered, then pausing for the power outage, then working until past sundown to meet their quota. These things are not without significance and do tell the viewer much about what the government would want a foreigner to believe about the DPRK.

Indeed, prominent party members and their families may live in these luxurious conditions, but the rest of the nation is far from this nice. Even in this example within the showcase North Korean city of Pyongyang, things are dirty and the people do not appear very healthy. Along with other reviewers, I recommend viewing this video along with other videos on North Korea, such as the National Geographic special Inside North Korea and State of Mind. Please enjoy the uploaded screen captures of the video for a few high points.

`North Korea: A Day in the Life' is a 48 minute documentary by Pieter Fleury of the Netherlands. There is no narration unfortunately but all the dialogue and commentary are with English subtitles so it isn't too bad.

When watching this program, if it appears a bit too `sterilized', for lack of a better word, that's because it is. The producer had to get the explicit permission of the government leader Kim Jong-Il to make this film. To get an idea of the constraints to filming this, the family shown in the first segment was `assigned' by the state along with stipulations that poverty stricken areas in the city and country could not be filmed. When showing commerce of any kind, only the best store in the city (Pyongyang) was allowed to be shown. Not much leeway in the production process at all. Given North Korea's reputation for a repressive regime, this becomes understandable and you would think they don't want to draw even more unwanted attention to their myriad problems in that country. Of course, allowing such censored material is only going to strengthen viewer's suspicions of what life is really like there.

In the rare number of city scenes, it appears clean and well kept but there is not enough footage shown to make a proper judgment of what it is really like. Again, it is open to interpretation. Of course, there is no shortage of seeing monuments, paintings, statues, and pictures of their leader who is always addressed as `General Kim Jong-Il' and his pervasive presence is seen and felt in almost every scene throughout the program. Constant surveillance by the government is also another unpleasant aspect faced by citizens and there seems to be no reasonable expectation of privacy for anyone.

Of the one factory that they showed, employment is rigidly structured and work is based on meeting production quotas every day. Each employee is also graded on his or her day to day work. It looks suspiciously like a sweat shop environment but a little too neat and clean. Again, it is what the government wants you to see and not necessarily how it really is. As far as private enterprise, you won't see any of that in North Korea. It is prohibited and there is a centrally supplied economy. The state decides what people need, not the people themselves.

As you might expect, as I did, there is anti-American sentiment sprinkled throughout the documentary. It is sometimes comical to watch as several citizens who were interviewed blame the United States for many of the problems in their country. Whether it is power outages, a poor economy, or anything in-between, evil America and other imperialists are the culprits.

All in all, this is an okay documentary but it is the `clean' version that North Korea wants you to believe even though you probably know better. A couple of good extras on the DVD are worth viewing. There is just too much evidence that demonstrates a more dark and sinister climate in North Korea. One thing stands out in my mind after seeing this program. There is no place like home. America has her problems like everywhere else but I still see it as the best country in the world with the best freedoms and the best government (even though it needs some work also).

EVERY American - - especially POLITICIANS should be REQUIRED to see this.

THEY DON'T LOVE US - - AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL.

LOOK what they are teaching their children in grammer school! Helloooooo!

WAKE UP!