The riveting documentary is “jaw-dropping,” critic Glenn Kenny writes on RogerEbert.com.
“A staggering achievement,” writes Lena Wilson in The Playlist.
“Harrowing, [depicting] stories of unsung heroism that deserve to be shared with the world,” Fred Topel writes in his United Press International review.
This suspenseful film follows three families as they try to flee North Korea, a land they grew up believing was a utopian paradise.
Central to the film are a courageous pastor, Sung-eun Kim, on a mission to help a mother reunite with the child she was forced to leave behind, and a family of five, including small children and an elderly grandmother, on a treacherous journey into the hostile mountains of China.
Leaving their homeland is fraught with unimaginable danger, yet these individuals are driven to take the risks.
Gripping, thrilling and timely, director Madeleine Gavin embeds the viewer with these family members, including videos they shot with their cellphones, as they attempt their perilous escapes, palpably conveying life-and-death stakes.
The 2023 film, in English and Korean with English subtitles, runs 1 hour 55 minutes and is rated PG–13. Its honors include the Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary. The film’s trailer can be found on YouTube at tinyurl.com/BeyondUtopia-MoviesWSpirit.
The screening will be followed by a discussion. Refreshments will be served.
