Yodok Stories

Over 200 000 men, women and children are imprisoned in North Korean concentration camps. Abuse, famine and murder are commonplace. Only a few manage to survive their years of imprisonment, yet the number of prisoners does not decrease - more 'enemies' continued to be imprisoned. Occasionally, these opponents of the dictatorship succeed in escaping the camp and the country. Some of them now living in Seoul, South Korea, decide to make a unique and controversial musical based on their experiences in the 'Yodok' concentration camp. The North Korean refugees' performance gives Andrzej Fidyk an opportunity to capture the atrocities committed in the camps. In 1989, documentary filmmaker Fidyk - who has worked for Polish television stations and the BBC - filmed a stadium parade dedicated to the honor and glory of former leader Kim II Sung. The footage of the parade won several awards at film festivals, and planted the seed in Fidyk for a lifelong fascination in North Korea.