Freedom House North Korean Human Rights Conference

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Freedom House is pleased to announce our first international event in a year-long advocacy campaign on North Korean Human Rights, to be held on TUESDAY, JULY 19th, 2005 at The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.

This day-long conference will highlight the work of many dedicated individuals who have championed the cause of North Korean human rights. The event will feature distinguished speakers (including a bi-partisan Congressional delegation), exhibits, documentaries, panel discussions, breakout sessions, cultural and spiritual activities and a rally in support of North Korean human rights. Our aim is to raise awareness of the egregious human rights abuses happening each day in North Korea and to plan concrete actions for the future.

We sincerely hope that you will be a part of this momentous occasion. If you or your organization would like to set up an information table at the conference, please contact Ms. Jessica L. Barnes at (202) 296-2861 ext. 203 or Mr. Yonghwa “Peter” Lee at (202) 296-2861 ext. 206 at your earliest convenience.

This message serves as a Save the Date and a formal invitation with the conference schedule will follow. Please feel free to forward this email message to other interested parties.

As a point of interest, we would like to bring your attention to a powerful new film entitled, North Korea, a Day in the Life. This film will be shown on June 17, 2005 at the AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival. Please see the announcement below for more detailed information.

Yours truly,

The North Korean Human Rights Team at Freedom House:

Jae Ku, Director
Jessica L. Barnes, Program Officer
Yonghwa Lee, Program Officer

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Flier for North Korea: A Day in the Life
Playing at SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival 2005 “The Preeminent US documentary festival. – Screen International

NORTH KOREA: A DAY IN THE LIFE

Pieter FleuryDenmark / North Korea, 2004, 48 minutes

Few places on Earth are as mysterious to outsiders as North Korea. Because its borders are closed to the outside world, Westerners have almost no sense of what everyday life is like there. Dutch filmmaker Pieter Fleury tracks a day in the life of an average family. This film is sure to make Kim Jong Il glow with pride. The rest of the world, however, may be shocked by this beautifully haunting documentary.

The day begins with a nutritious breakfast at the home of Hong Sun Hui, a female worker in a textile factory. Cameras follow as Mrs. Hong goes off to the factory, her brother goes to school to learn about an abstraction called “the internet,” and her daughter goes to kindergarten, where she learns that “flowers need the sun and she needs the love of the Great Leader to grow. At the end of the day, the three reconvene and share their stories as any normal family would, unaware of the massive amount of propaganda they’ve encountered in one short day.

Representatives from the North Korean film bureau were able to dictate much of what Fleury was allowed to record. But in a film with no narration, Fleury has presented as close to a subjective view as possible without being allowed to say a word. The result is a film that encourages viewers to interpret what they see for themselves.

Tickets: www.SILVERDOCS.com or 1.866.SLVR DCS
Press Inquiries: Jody Arlington, PR Manager, SILVERDOCSPh: 301.495.6759, jarlington@AFI.com (more here)

Editorial note: I had to pass up an invite to a special screening of this film at the Dutch Embassy because of work duties, but a fellow member of the North Korea Freedom Coalition raved about it. I recall reading excellent reviews from a left-of-center source as well, which is odd. I hope to get a chance to see for myself.

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