I watched this last week on iPlayer.
External Link/Members OnlyEvery time I see North Korea's leader TV, I think he looks such a buffoonish character.
But watching this documentary brings home what an evil, murdering bastard he is.
Heart-rending to watch at times, as a mother tries to secure her son's release to the South, but apparently fails and contemplates his torture and likely execution at the end.
You see glimpses of the states brutality to its citizens at the start.
One family has a happier experience and is able to find freedom in South Korea, through the efforts of a very courageos pastor. However, this liberation takes in a very tortuous, arduous route, including Laos and Vietnam.
Something that was astonshing to hear was that apparently in North Korea there is no proper sanitation system, and, what's more, people are expected to donate their excrement to the state. Apparently, it's collected by state officials and used to irrigate farms. Added to this, people are expected to accumulate so much to meet regulations, and there are instances where people steal other peoples poo to satisfy protocol!
Absolutely crazy, and also funny, if the backdrop wasn't so tragic.