Sundance Movie Review: Doc 'Beyond Utopia' Captures Harrowing North Korea Escape

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- "Beyond Utopia ," winner of the People's Choice Award for US Documentary Feature at the Sundance Film Festival, is a stunning first-person look at refugees fleeing North Korea. With images of people on the street and photographers helping them, the film captures the hardships of real families.

Hyunseo Lee traveled from North Korea through China to escape. Seoyeon Lee tries to get her son out of North Korea and the Ro family on her way before the COVID-19 pandemic closes the road across the Yalu River.

Reverend Seong Un Kim leads a group of psychics who help refugees escape North Korean surveillance. From emotional videos of families pleading for help to text messages tracing incidents they fail to capture on camera, Beyond Utopia chronicles the harrowing journey.

After creating three main stories in about 30 minutes, Beyond Utopia explains the history of North and South Korea from Stalin to the Kim regime. Archival footage shows many historical events and propaganda portraying the United States and South Korea as enemies.

Seoyeon's mother is still under the influence of this publicity. Seoyeon can only find out about her mother's condition through a friend who can check on her.

The film crew of Beyond Utopia interviewed Soyeon's mother at her home. Despite assurances that she could speak fluently, the viewer could see how surprised the old lady was, refusing to say anything that could be interpreted as criticism of Kim Jong-un.

Beyond Utopia presents the current journeys of refugees. Shots from hidden border cells and gulags remind the viewer of the dangers these families face if discovered.

Of course, neither director Madeline Gavin nor Reverend Kim himself knew how these stories would end when they began. Beyond Utopia includes some happy moments of relief as people finally meet their lost loved ones the next day.

Some songs are free, others have a tragic ending. These are just three untold stories of heroism worth sharing with the world.

Fred Tobel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is an entertainment writer who works in Los Angeles for UPI. He's been a professional film critic since 1999, a columnist for Rotten Tomatoes since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Learn more about his work in entertainment.

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