Frustrated by the low quality of domestic film production, the North Korean dictator and movie buff Kim Jong-il took matters into his own hands. In 1978, he kidnapped a revered South Korean director, Shin Sang-ok, and his estranged actress wife, Choi Eun-hee, and forced them to make films in North Korea. It’s an extraordinary story, and almost enough to sustain this often engaging documentary. However, you find yourself wishing that the film-makers were able to offer more of an insight into day-to-day life within this most secretive of countries.
