Seoul Train by Incite Productions is a documentary that falls squarely into that category. I haven’t published any film reviews on here yet (though I’ve been busily watching ones to review), and am going to be reviewing based on 3 main criteria and how effectively they’re employed: * Message/storyline/script
* Technical (lighting, sound, camera work)
* Artistic (acting, directing, etc).
Message:
The purpose of Seoul Train is to acquaint you with the North Korean refugee situation. The film uses interviews, Cinema Verite’ footage, and press conferences to tell a horrendous story of suffering and pain. Personal accounts of refugees are shared throughout the film, and are made very powerful by footage that was taken right before and during very harrowing situations. I felt like the filmmakers did a wonderful job connecting you with the subjects, especially one little girl, Han-Mi. You’re drawn into their desparate plight and suddenly the word “refugee” has a face, a name, a story.
As powerful as the story was, there were definitely some weak moments, especially near the beginning. They overused on screen titles and took too long to begin the actual stories. Also, some of the interviews felt a bit amateurish and not well planned.
Technical:
No outstanding camera work here. Everything, interviews inlcuded, is cinema verite’. While some of the interviews might have employed extra lighting, none of them look polished or professionaly lit. I wish they would have spent a bit more time on this – since some of the interviews were obviously sit-down extended sessions, I think it would have added to the message by making use of artistic lighting and stylistic backgrounds.
A lot of hidden camera footage was used – some from inside North Korea by a camera that was smuggled in and out of the country.
Artistic:
As earlier mentioned, much of the documentary is real-life events as they happen. The use of this type of footage gave a lot of strength to the piece and was its story backbone. I appreciated the way the stories were told, step by step, rarely giving away the outcome. I was on the edge of my seat (figuratively, of course) several times, and a surprise ending to one of the stories proved a double edged sword – relief at the outcome and yet a poignant reminder of how rarely these refugees find freedom. Good editing. If nothing else, watch it as an example of storytelling.
Seoul Train is now on my list of top 10 films that matter. It’s a subject that needs to be talked about. You know its a good film when you can hardly sleep afterwards because the stories, names and faces keep running through your mind. We’re now tossing around the idea of doing a short about the MoFA 7…but you’ll have to watch this doc to know what that is.
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