Cambodia, 29 Nov 2006 --

Just a quick note to all you film people:  They screened a documentary called “A State of Mind” last night at the festival.  The UK team that made it was granted unprecedented access to North Korea to film the lives of two school girls as they trained to perform in the Mass Games: huge, patriotic dance/gymnastics spectacles performed on national holidays somewhat similar to those sometimes seen from China.

The documentary is certainly controversial in its portrayal of the state of things in North Korea, and I would agree with those who say that the government carefully controlled what the crew was and was not allowed to see (they had 24/7 government provided “minders,” and the families in the documentary live in some of the best housing in Pyongyang, the Disneyland of North Korea).

Still, the film is well produced and has some unbelievable footage from inside a country that we never get to see.  I can’t say that I know what it’s really like inside having seen the film, but if nothing else it’s a good reminder that the citizens of the “Axis of Evil” are really just people trying to get along like the rest of us who have been subjected to some really extensive ideological brainwashing.

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