Foreign media visits Pyongyang Film Festival: Russians serve as judges, Indian films amaze audiences

Foreign media said that Pyongyang Film and Television City covers an area of 10 million square feet (about 930,000 square meters) and spans a mountainous area on the outskirts of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It is said to be the largest film and television city in the world. It contains displays of various foreign locations, reflecting what the outside world looks like in North Korea's propaganda.

Original title: Foreign media visits Pyongyang Film Festival: Audiences are stunned by Indian films

Foreign media said that Pyongyang Film and Television City covers an area of 10 million square feet (about 930,000 square meters) and spans a mountainous area on the outskirts of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It is said to be the world's largest film and television city, with displays of various foreign locations, reflecting what the outside world looks like in North Korea's propaganda.

According to a report on the website of the New York Times on October 20, some scenes are intended to depict the scenery of Japan, an ordinary street in Europe, and South Korea around 1950.

The report said that this was the visitors who were visiting Pyongyang and they had one of the few opportunities to walk into North Korea. They are participating in the biennial Pyongyang International Film Festival.

According to reports, there were many spectacular scenes at the opening ceremony of the film festival. In mid-September, it was held at the Central Youth Palace in the capital. For this event, the venue was renovated and renovated. The opening ceremony was attended by government officials, members of the film festival delegation and representatives of embassies from various countries. Officials 'cars and buses carrying performance groups filled the wide parking lot, and women in beautiful clothes filled the packed theater.

A five-member jury was also introduced that night, all male and led by Russian citizen Yuri Mityushin, who had served in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and is currently hosting a film festival on "law enforcement" in Moscow. In previous years, the film festival has invited judges from Iran, Syria and China.

At the end of the opening ceremony, the hosts stood under a statue of a dove and announced that the festival would show films from countries that are anti-war and "desire a better and peaceful life."

The festival rarely shows films that are expected to win an Oscar or starred by Hollywood stars; the films that do are likely to promote socialist values or patriotism. Afterwards, guests watched the opening film "Quiet Outpost," a melodrama about the Russian war.

According to reports, during the eight-day film festival, 11 feature films will compete for the highest award, the Best Torch Award. The jury was told that the judging criteria were whether the films well reflected the festival's official theme of "Independence, Peace, Friendship" and whether they emphasized the Juche idea, the principle of autonomy proposed by former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung.

This year's total films include 60 films from 21 countries, which is much less than the previous 100 films. This year's films include films from Germany, France and India, but as in the past, the absence of American and South Korean films is remarkable.

One night this year, the film festival screened the "Lord of the Rings"-style Indian fantasy epic "King Bahobali: Opening". The film ended with a suspense. After the screening, many North Koreans in the audience were stunned and couldn't linger.

"Is this a true story?" A North Korean couldn't believe it.

"Please ask these filmmakers to send the second film at the next festival," said another person (the next festival will be held in 2018).

In the end, people did not express any surprise-the "Torch Award" was won by the domestic film "The Story of Our Family". It is said to be a feature film based on real events. It tells the story of a young college graduate who devotes selflessly and raises orphans, and ultimately wins a commendation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Editor: Nancy