The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame



Analysis The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame Kim Jong Il’s operatic passion project remains a nostalgic classic in China and elsewhere, 50 years after its release Oliver Jia September 20, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON The main title screen of "The Flower Girl" \| Image: KCTV State propaganda and cinema are inseparable in North Korea, with former leader Kim Jong Il calling film a “powerful ideological weapon for the revolution.” More often than not, this philosophy produces dry, didactic movies that receive little attention outside the country. And yet, a handful of North Korean films display real technical competence and a clear passion for moviemaking; these works of state-produced entertainment are actually entertaining and even occasionally moving. State propaganda and cinema are inseparable in North Korea, with former leader Kim Jong Il calling film a “powerful ideological weapon for the revolution.” More often than not, this philosophy produces dry, didactic movies that receive little attention outside the country. And yet, a handful of North Korean films display real technical competence and a clear passion for moviemaking; these works of state-produced entertainment are actually entertaining and even occasionally moving. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame

Kim Jong Il’s operatic passion project remains a nostalgic classic in China and elsewhere, 50 years after its release

Oliver Jia September 20, 2022

The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame

The main title screen of "The Flower Girl" | Image: KCTV

State propaganda and cinema are inseparable in North Korea, with former leader Kim Jong Il calling film a “powerful ideological weapon for the revolution.” More often than not, this philosophy produces dry, didactic movies that receive little attention outside the country.

And yet, a handful of North Korean films display real technical competence and a clear passion for moviemaking; these works of state-produced entertainment are actually entertaining and even occasionally moving.

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The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame

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Oliver Jia

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