Under the Sun (V paprscích slunce)

Over the course of one year, this officially sanctioned North Korean documentary follows the life of an ordinary Pyongyang family.

"The script was assigned to the filmmakers by the North Korean authorities. The crew was accompanied at all times by minders 'to prevent us from getting lost'; the locations were pre-selected; the performances orchestrated to depict suitably fervent levels of patriotism. All the footage was scrutinised by DPRK officials to check for mistakes in showing a typical family in 'the best country in the world'. It’s no wonder that the smiles start look a little forced. What's more unexpected is just how much Russian documentary filmmaker Vitaly Mansky is able to reveal despite, and often because of, the stringent restrictions imposed upon him." (Screen Daily)

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