On Watching "Crossing" (Korean 2008)

Tonight I watched "Crossing", a Korean film about escaping from North Korea based on the true story of a defector named Yoo Sang-joon. Very painful to watch. Assuming it is true, it is gut-wrenching reminder of how inhumane the dictatorship of N. Korea is to its own people, and how fortunate we are to live in a country with basic needs and liberties.

As tragic as the story is, I highly recommend watching it. I plan to show it to my kids when they are ready for a story like this.

http://www.crossing-movie.jp/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyYilOhGw40

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_(2008_film)



The Wikipedia article mentioned that this was submitted as the S. Korea piece for the foreign language film category of the 2009 Academy Awards, but it did not get a nomination to the short list. That was the year the Japanese film Departures (Okuribito), one of my all time favorites for Japanese films, won.

Apparently one reason this film did not get on the short list was a controversy of plagiarism and "story-stealing" from one director. It is unfortunate that such as valuable story would be marred by such allegations.

Despite that, the film is a must-see. Everyone not only in East Asia but around the world should be aware of the inhumane conditions that the people of N. Korea are being forced to suffer in as we speak.

My personal view, amateur view, is that the only way to help conditions improve is to end (not strengthen) various types of embargos and open up trade and exchange with the country on a civilian level in every way possible. The leadership and military of N. Korea are going to fund themselves well regardless of any embargo, but trade will allow the development of civilian ties and wealth even if on a small scale after the military takes its cut. As the country gets more information, opportunity to travel and meet, and channels to communicate with the outside, and as it becomes aware of the freedoms and wealth of other countries, pressure to change will grow from within the military elite itself...N. Korea's isolation has to be ended and the people have to be freed from this oppression. I want to support the groups that are helping defectors escape and tell their stories.

The world needs to know and take action.