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““Is North Korea the loneliest place on Earth?” According to one of the more evocative intertitles in Soon-Mi Yoo’s Songs from the North, the country has “no friends, no history, only myths, repeated endlessly from morning to night.” An intoxicating, unorthodox, and somewhat elusive essay, the film delves into some of these national myths, interposing assorted propagandistic materials from the country. There’s a mix of songs, state media, old films, and footage of plays, performances, and other public spectacles. Interspersed are the filmmaker’s musings and her memories of her father. Through this, the film looks neutrally at a nation that is usually reviled or laughed at, and sensitively toward the people who live there, who are rarely heard from and even more rarely sincerely listened to. |:”
Full article on Soon Mi Yoo’s Songs From The North on Hyperallergic