A State of Mind

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Audience Member A compelling documentary about a documentary film maker getting unprecedented access to North Korea to study the infamous Mass Games. The journey to these games are through to young North Korean school girls & therefore getting a glimpse of North Korean lifestyle in the city which is far from the truth in the rural areas. The scope & size of the Mass Games is hard to believe since the country is in such poverty. This chronicles the days up to the games & incredibly Kim Jong II doesn't even attend, so in many ways your left feeling very disappointed, but it gives you great insight to North Korea. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review thomas a "A state of mind" is a great documentary that gives a very rare peek into the daily lives of two families in central Pyongyang, during the days leading up to the 2003 Mass Games. The information here may be outdated (since it showed the quotidian during Kim Jong Il's regime instead of today''s Kim Jong Un), but still, it is very rare that we can get to see an insightful documentary under such an oppressive government again. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member For all it's faults, at least North Korea seem to know what they are doing. There's no hidden agenda. There's no unrest, just pure patriotism. The people seem genuinely happy and proud of their country. There's no moaning or moping about, they do what is necessary to survive. Good for them Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member In the interests of being "fair" and "balanced", the movie ends up being a piece of North Korean propaganda. Never mind the fact that no questions were asked on any of the pressing issues regarding North Korea...death camps, famine, political prisoners, punishing three generations (slave labor in a concentration camp) for a political crime, nuclear arms testing, lack of basic necessities (like soap and electricity), inability for citizens to leave the country, etc., etc. The main issue in this documentary is that North Korea is notorious for the level of control it exercises on its people and foreigners who come into their country. If anyone watching this film thinks this is an accurate portrait of daily life North Korea, you have been fooled by the North Korean propaganda machine. Its almost as if Dennis Rodman made the movie for his buddy Kim. In any event, the movie has won many awards in NORTH KOREA...so that must say something. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member It would appear that a live-action adaptation of The Hunger Games came first, predating even the book! Raises more questions than it answers, but in the best way - this documentary crew captures precious nuggets of North Korean life and interviews with its people that made me want to pull people out of the screen to ask follow-up questions. What better way to dissect a nation's way of life than to follow a couple of young gymnasts? Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member There is a lot to learn about North Korea (so long as you believe everything shown in a documentary is 100% true) and this is a fascinating and interesting way to do so. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A State of Mind

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