Kim Jong Il has died

[deValcourt]

Apparently 5 holes in one during his first game of golf... I'd think that would qualify him as superman, no?:D

Maybe it was miniature golf...;)

Phillip

[GabrielMk3]

Maybe...

[CtahhR]

Now here we are over a month on and doesn't it seem strange that the "usual suspects" haven't rolled off piles of retrospective "life of" documentaries which are seen when almost anyone of note from soap stars to result predicting sea-life? Where are the documentaries from the Discovery, History and BBC channels? Did this death come as such a surprise that noone had anything in the can already? Very strange indeed....

If anyone is looking for a DPRK "travel" documentary you have the Vice Guide which features a hilarious scene where the Canadian traveller exposes his handlers to a karaoke sing-song of The Sex Pistols for the first time (how did that pass the censors?!?). There is also "Kim Jong Il's Comedy Club" in which two Danish Korean-born comedians (one of which is spastic) put on a comedy performance in Pyong Yang. It is a real telling story showing how the performance is corrupted and altered to fit the "Korean" audience. During the whole time they are there since none of the Korean authorities can understand the spastic Danish that one of the comedians speaks he is able to offer his true thoughts on the situation throughout the stay without putting retrospective voice overs on it. A very "different" and gripping documentary which very much has its heroes and demons.

[Esteban_cool]

Where are the documentaries from the Discovery, History and BBC channels?

If History Channel makes a documentary about DPRK they will put aliens in it, that´s for sure.

[medals73]

If History Channel makes a documentary about DPRK they will put aliens in it, that´s for sure.

Sadly true, either aliens or Hitler (or both).

[deValcourt]

Now here we are over a month on and doesn't it seem strange that the "usual suspects" haven't rolled off piles of retrospective "life of" documentaries which are seen when almost anyone of note from soap stars to result predicting sea-life? Where are the documentaries from the Discovery, History and BBC channels? Did this death come as such a surprise that noone had anything in the can already? Very strange indeed....

If anyone is looking for a DPRK "travel" documentary you have the Vice Guide which features a hilarious scene where the Canadian traveller exposes his handlers to a karaoke sing-song of The Sex Pistols for the first time (how did that pass the censors?!?). There is also "Kim Jong Il's Comedy Club" in which two Danish Korean-born comedians (one of which is spastic) put on a comedy performance in Pyong Yang. It is a real telling story showing how the performance is corrupted and altered to fit the "Korean" audience. During the whole time they are there since none of the Korean authorities can understand the spastic Danish that one of the comedians speaks he is able to offer his true thoughts on the situation throughout the stay without putting retrospective voice overs on it. A very "different" and gripping documentary which very much has its heroes and demons.

I am not surprised since the "usual suspects" are all American (except the BBC).

[CtahhR]

NHK, SVT, ABC, DR, RT, TF, nothing......

[Pobeda45]

Yes, interesting stuff indeed. I read a FANTASTIC (but also horrifying) book on North Korea a few months ago:

Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty - Bradley K. Martin

This book is packed with so much detail on what real people went through and how the government worked (largely based on interviews with exiles) that it is almost unbelievable some times. HIGHLY recommended.

Sorry to bump up such an old post--I recently finished this book myself; wow, what a read. Highly recommended both as a story of the Kim dynasty and as a true (and harrowing) account of people's lives in the DPRK. The book packs many interviews with defectors, which are especially valuable.

Cheers, George

[deValcourt]

NHK, SVT, ABC, DR, RT, TF, nothing......

OK, let me update that: no country belonging to the UN - especially the Security Council - is going to touch this one for many years, if ever. Just go to Google and type in "countries boycotting North Korea" and a short list of news articles from obscure news sources talk about how a long list of countries who simply refused to participate in a minute of silence demanded by the North Korean delegation back in December. I think you'll find your answer.

Phillip

[CtahhR]

The DPRK has been in the UN since 17th September 1991 and they have no problem touching it. Also China was the first member.