Myself in the Distant Future
Encyclopedia
Myself in the Distant Future is a 1997 North Korean film directed by Jang In-hak.
s who are working to modernize their home village. He attempts to win her heart and take her back to Pyongyang
by becoming a model worker, but she chooses to continue her plastering.
The film's central theme is that a person should be happy and content in the place of their birth, regardless of conditions, and supports the willingness of the North Korean government
to restrict migration from the countryside into the cities. Another theme within the film is for people to "eat potatoes, not rice", which reinforces an official government campaign encouraging the consumption of potatoes. Despite being filmed during the North Korean famine
, Myself in the Distant Future depicts a country blessed with a plentiful supply of food.
as being "one of the more obvious propaganda movies".
Summary
A young man falls in love with the leader of a shock brigade of plastererPlasterer
A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls...
s who are working to modernize their home village. He attempts to win her heart and take her back to Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
by becoming a model worker, but she chooses to continue her plastering.
The film's central theme is that a person should be happy and content in the place of their birth, regardless of conditions, and supports the willingness of the North Korean government
Government of North Korea
The North Korean government is the executive branch of the state, according to the Constitution of North Korea. In practice, the highest decisions are made by the National Defence Commission of North Korea which is led by its Chairman Kim Jong-il....
to restrict migration from the countryside into the cities. Another theme within the film is for people to "eat potatoes, not rice", which reinforces an official government campaign encouraging the consumption of potatoes. Despite being filmed during the North Korean famine
North Korean famine
'The North Korean famine was a famine in North Korea which began in the early 1990s...
, Myself in the Distant Future depicts a country blessed with a plentiful supply of food.
Festival screenings
Myself in the Distant Future was screened at the 6th Pyongyang International Film Festival in 1998, where it was awarded both the Golden Torch and Acting prizes. In 2000 it was one of eight North Korean films played at the Udine Festival of Far East Film, where it was regarded by Richard James Havis of AsiaweekAsiaweek
Asiaweek, the English edition, was a news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. Based in Hong Kong, it was established in 1975, and ceased publication with its December 7, 2001 issue due to a "downturn in the advertising market," according to...
as being "one of the more obvious propaganda movies".
External links
- Film International - Permanent State of War: A Short History of North Korean Cinema