Beyond Utopia

They grew up believing their land was paradise. Now, they risk everything in escaping it. In an unforgettable documentary, Madeleine Gavin followed families on a treacherous journey to defect from their homeland of North Korea, as the threat of severe punishment and possible execution looms over their passage, revealing a world many have never seen. It was too risky for me/us to go along with the Lee and Park families, but I shot the interviews that carried the narrative of the documentary and gave insight into the unknown world of North Korean paradise. Sundance 2023. Independent Lens.