It’s difficult to believe that places still exist where cruelty, intentional lies, and widespread manipulation are commonplace, with even minor rule violations resulting in exile to isolated labor camps, severe physical abuse, and even brutal public killings. This is daily life in North Korea, a regime driven by paranoia and lacking any hesitation when it comes to mistreating its citizens and limiting their access to…

This documentary, assembled from footage captured with mobile phones and other covert methods, recounts the experiences of individuals attempting to escape the poverty and repression that define life in North Korea. The story largely centers on a single family’s dangerous journey, requiring them to cross the Yalu River into China with the help of guides and intermediaries, then onward through Vietnam, Laos, and ultim…