The Lovers and the Despot

Stranger-than-fiction documentary about the kidnapping of South Korean actor, Choi Eun-hee, and her ex-husband and film director, Shin Sang-ok, by dictator and film fan Kim Jong-il to force them to develop North Korea’s film industry in the 70’s.

“As both an utterly mad true story and as a document of the boundless reach of the cinema across borders and cultures and even ideologies, The Lovers and the Despot is wild, valuable viewing for all.” ~ Dominick Suzanne-Mayer, Consequence.