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A state of mind - Daniel Gordon

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Following on from the 2002 RTS award-winning documentary The game of their lives, VeryMuchSo productions were granted permission from the North Korean film authorities to make a second documentary. An observational film following two young gymnasts and their families for over eight months in the lead up to the Mass Games - involving a cast of thousands in a choreographed socialist realism spectacular- the biggest and most elaborate human performance on Earth.

Entitled A state of mind, the film provides a rare glimpse into what is one of the world's least known societies. North Korea is sealed off from outside influences. It borders China and Russia to the north, and to the south there is a 4-kilometre-wide impenetrable border with South Korea. The country follows its own communist ideals, a strict philosophy known as the Juche Idea wrapped around the worship of the Kim dynasty - Kim II Sung, their Eternal President who died in 1994 but remains Head of State, and his son and successor, Kim Jong II, known as the General.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film North Korea People's Democratic Republic Mass Games Communism Kim Il Sung gymnastics documentary

Persons of interest

Daniel Gordon .... Narrator
Daniel Gordon .... Screenwriter
Daniel Gordon .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

A state of mind official movie site
A state of mind film production notes
A state of mind QuickTime movie trailers
Awards and film festivals:

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam 2004: Official selection
Melbourne International Film Festival 2005: Zero to Hero: Survival of the Fittest
Pusan International Film Festival 2004: Official selection
Pyongyang International Film Festival 2004: Special Award and Best Music Award
Sheffield International Documentary Festival 2004: Official selection
Singapore International Film Festival 2005: Official selection

Studios and distributors:

21st Century Pictures

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Be thankful that you don't live in a country where the leader is a despot who tries to make everyone over in his own outdated image because A state of mind will do your head in. Everything you always heard about the USSR, the communist bloc and the red menace is true. And it starts with the children.