Directed by Mads Brügger
Denmark launches an all-out attack on North Korea in this has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed documentary that ventures into territory somewhere between Michael Moore and Borat. Bankrolled by Lars von Trier’s Zentropa production company, the aptly named Mads Brügger travels to Pyongyang on a feigned mission of cultural exchange, bringing a camera crew and the Danish-Korean slapstick-comedy team Red Chapel.
The duo consists of Simon, who aims to perform an acoustic rendition of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” accompanied by a choir of Korean schoolgirls, and Jacob, a self-described “spastic” whose mangled speech is incomprehensible to the minders assigned to “assist” the troupe. And while the duped hosts get more than they bargain for—a lot more—the Danish visitors find things aren’t as ethically clear-cut as they’d prefer them to be.
2009. Denmark. 87 min.
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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Mads Brügger has written several books; worked for numerous magazines and newspapers, including VIRUS, which he co-founded and edited for several years; and was founder and publisher of Denmark’s first magazine for second-generation Muslim boys. He hosted the critically acclaimed late-night TV show The 11th Hour, and began experimenting with roleplay in journalism on the series Danes for Bush. He has also produced several award-winning documentaries for national radio. Brügger works at The Danish Broadcasting Corporation, where he produces the TV series The Quatraro Mystery and hosts the daily news and debate show Deadline.
