Canadian Women Film Directors Database
home search browse about contact français

Quick search by surname

The Defector: Escape from North Korea

Directed by Ann Shin
Canada, 2012 (documentary, 71 minutes, colour, English / Korean / Mandarin / Thai)

Film Description:
"Under cover of darkness, a man makes clandestine calls from inside a moving car. Dragon is brokering an escape for a group of North Koreans hiding in China who risk deportation if caught. Also a defector, he sees himself more as a human rights activist rescuing fellow North Koreans than a shady broker dealing with human smugglers. But Dragon's intentions are clear when he states, 'There have to be profits for us to work.' Director Ann Shin follows two women from the group with hidden cameras on an arduous journey through China and Laos to Thailand, led by smugglers. Sook-Ja and Yong-Hee are ambivalent about their pursuit for freedom not only because of the constant danger to themselves but also because of the possible retribution for their families. The Defector humanizes the harrowing experience of illegal migrants, who are rendered invisible when forced to travel as commodities across closed borders."
-- Jane Kim (source)

Film Credits (partial):
Written by: Ann Shin, Manfred Becker
Produced by: Ann Shin, Sherry Barrett-Boguski, Erica Leendertse, Heidi Tao Yang
Cinematography: Stephen Chung, Alan Poon
Film Editing: Manfred Becker, Steve Guise, Chris Wiseman
Music: Ari Posner
Production Company: Fathom Film Group
(sources)

Award won by The Defector: Escape from North Korea

Web Sites about The Defector: Escape from North Korea


home search browse about contact français