PG-13 | 1 h 55 min | Documentary | 2023
North Korea is arguably the most extreme regime in the “Axis of Evil.” It’s such a closed state that most of its citizens have no idea what the outside world is like. Family members left behind by defectors to the South are likely to be imprisoned in work camps and possibly face torture.
Yet, South Korean Pastor Kim Seungeun courageously operates an underground railroad-like network to help desperate North Koreans escape from the oppressive regime. Each rescue is an extraordinarily dangerous undertaking, as viewers can clearly see in Madeleine Gavin’s documentary “Beyond Utopia.”
Pastor Kim is just as unassuming looking as the modest offices of the Caleb Mission that funds his rescues entirely through member donations. A visit to North Korea changed his life forever. It was there that he met his future wife, Esther, whom he married after she defected to the South. He looks more like a dad than a James Bond, which makes some of the grueling scenes of the rescue operation particularly alarming to watch.
Ms. Gavin starts with a disclaimer informing viewers that there will be absolutely no re-creations in the film that they’re about to watch. It entirely consists of footage recorded by the filmmaker, her crew, Mr. Kim, and other defectors and brokers in North Korea, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The video is as real as it gets, but Mr. Kim refused to allow Ms. Gavin to accompany them on several legs of their perilous journey because it would be far too dangerous for a conspicuously white Westerner.
Throughout the film, Ms. Gavin alternates between two of Mr. Kim’s current clients. Soyeon Lee has already safely settled in South Korea, but she’s desperate to save her son, who remains in the North. Unfortunately, most of the brokers who Mr. Kim knows fear it’s too late for him. There’s also the possibility that he remains sufficiently brainwashed by the Kim Jong Un regime, so he might refuse an opportunity to leave, even if one miraculously arose.
Dangerous Journey
Reluctantly, the Roh family braved the river and border guards to cross into China, because they discovered they were about to be “banished.” Under this common practice, tantamount to a death sentence, the family would have been marooned in the mountains, without any food, water, or any other supplies necessary for survival. Miraculously, a farmer has granted them temporary shelter, but the Chinese bounty placed on North Korean escapees makes their position tenuous.Mr. Kim agrees to help, but he can’t join them until they reach Vietnam because China is too dangerous for them. He can connect them with “brokers,” but that’s just a polite term for “human trafficker,” so Mr. Kim and his clients can never completely trust them.
“Beyond Utopia” is probably the most intense, absolutely nerve-jangling film of the year—and it’s all true. Even though she wasn’t present for every moment, Ms. Gavin, who also served as the film editor, cut together a riveting thriller and a heart-breaking tragedy from the footage provided by her subjects. Sadly, only one of the two storylines culminates in a happy ending.
Periodically, Ms. Gavin incorporates some talking-head interviews for context, including commentary from best-selling North Korean defector Lee Hyeon-seo and former CIA official (and co-producer) Sue Mi Terry, who has debriefed dozens of defectors. Their insights are illuminating, but they never dilute the intense human drama unfolding on-screen.
Watching Mr. Kim huffing and puffing as he guides the Roh family through Southeast Asian rainforests will inspire sympathetic chest pains in viewers. He clearly sacrifices much to serve humanity, as he believes God calls him to. The stakes throughout this film couldn’t possibly be any higher.
Yet “Beyond Utopia” is also highly informative. Even if viewers think that they’re already well-versed in North Korean human rights abuses, there are new details here that will blow their minds. This film should be required viewing for its timeliness, especially since the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is playing such a central role in the axis of totalitarians, providing arms to Russia, while drawing closer, economically and politically, to China.
It’s also quite appropriate for Christian audiences because it very concretely illustrates the ways in which Mr. Kim’s ministry translates faith into positive worldly action. Very highly recommended.
