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A Kim Jong-Il production : the extraordinary true story of a kidnapped filmmaker, his star actress, and a young dictator's rise to power  Cover Image Book Book

A Kim Jong-Il production : the extraordinary true story of a kidnapped filmmaker, his star actress, and a young dictator's rise to power / Paul Fischer.

Summary:

A nonfiction thriller packed with tension, passion, and politics, [this book] offers a rare glimpse into a secretive world, illuminating a fascinating chapter of North Korea's history that helps explain how it became the hermetically sealed, intensely stage-managed country it remains today. Before becoming the world's most notorious dictator, Kim Jong-Il ran North Korea's Ministry for Propaganda and its film studios. Conceiving every movie made, he acted as producer and screenwriter. Despite this control, he was underwhelmed by the available talent and took drastic steps, ordering the kidnapping of Choi Eun-Hee, South Korea's most famous actress, and her ex-husband Shin Sang-Ok, the country's most famous filmmaker. It is announced that the couple will remarry and act as the Dear Leader's film advisors. Together they made seven films; pretending to research a film in Vienna, they flee to the U.S. embassy and are swept to safety.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781250054265
  • ISBN: 1250054265
  • ISBN: 9781250054272
  • ISBN: 1250054273
  • Physical Description: x, 353 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Flatiron Books, 2015.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-353).
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction: August, 1982 -- Reel one: a sense of destiny. A photograph on the blue house lawn -- Director Shin & Madame Choi -- Shrimp among whales -- A double rainbow over Mount Paekdu -- Kim Jong Il's first loves -- Fathers and sons -- Inside the Pyongyang picture show -- A three-second kiss -- Repulse bay -- Reel two: guests of the dear leader. The hermit kingdom -- Accused -- Musicals, movies, and ideological studies -- Taken -- The others -- Escape from Chestnut Valley -- Shin Sang-Ok died here -- The torture position -- Division 39 -- The hunger strike -- Director Shin is coming -- Intermission: the people's actress Woo in-Hee -- Reel three: produced by Kim Jong-Il. Together -- The tape recorder -- Lights, camera -- Out of the North -- Like a European movie -- The press conference -- Same bed, different dreams -- A full shooting schedule -- The rubber monster -- Vienna -- From Kim to Kim -- The stars and stripes -- Epilogue: 2013 -- Afterword.
Awards Note:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History & Biography (2015),
ALCS Dagger for Non-fiction Nominee (2015)
Subject: Kim, Chŏng-il, 1942-2011.
Sin, Sang-ok, 1926-2006 > Kidnapping, 1978.
Ch'oe, Ŭn-hŭi, 1930-2018 > Kidnapping, 1978.
Motion pictures > Korea (North) > History > 20th century.
Motion picture producers and directors > Korea (South) > Biography.
Actresses > Korea (South) > Biography.
Kidnapping.
Korea (North)
Korea (South)
Genre: Narrative non-fiction.
History.
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 0 of 1 copy available at scottsboropl.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
scottsboropl 791.43 Fis 32269001296857 Adult - New Checked out 07/06/2026

LDR 05732cam a2200865 i 4500
001167472
003SBPL
00520260504151505.0
008141121s2015 nyuaf b 000 0deng
010 . ‡a 2014040366
020 . ‡a9781250054265 ‡q(hardcover)
020 . ‡a1250054265 ‡q(hardcover)
020 . ‡a9781250054272
020 . ‡a1250054273
0248 . ‡a99961968536
035 . ‡a(OCoLC)881437062 ‡z(OCoLC)965133858 ‡z(OCoLC)1144638901 ‡z(OCoLC)1201883764 ‡z(OCoLC)1520130726
05000. ‡aPN1993.5.K63 ‡bF57 2015
08200. ‡a791.430951/93 ‡223
1001 . ‡aFischer, Paul ‡c(Documentary film producer)
24512. ‡aA Kim Jong-Il production : ‡bthe extraordinary true story of a kidnapped filmmaker, his star actress, and a young dictator's rise to power / ‡cPaul Fischer.
250 . ‡aFirst edition.
264 1. ‡aNew York : ‡bFlatiron Books, ‡c2015.
300 . ‡ax, 353 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : ‡billustrations (some color) ; ‡c25 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 345-353).
5050 . ‡aIntroduction: August, 1982 -- Reel one: a sense of destiny. A photograph on the blue house lawn -- Director Shin & Madame Choi -- Shrimp among whales -- A double rainbow over Mount Paekdu -- Kim Jong Il's first loves -- Fathers and sons -- Inside the Pyongyang picture show -- A three-second kiss -- Repulse bay -- Reel two: guests of the dear leader. The hermit kingdom -- Accused -- Musicals, movies, and ideological studies -- Taken -- The others -- Escape from Chestnut Valley -- Shin Sang-Ok died here -- The torture position -- Division 39 -- The hunger strike -- Director Shin is coming -- Intermission: the people's actress Woo in-Hee -- Reel three: produced by Kim Jong-Il. Together -- The tape recorder -- Lights, camera -- Out of the North -- Like a European movie -- The press conference -- Same bed, different dreams -- A full shooting schedule -- The rubber monster -- Vienna -- From Kim to Kim -- The stars and stripes -- Epilogue: 2013 -- Afterword.
520 . ‡aA nonfiction thriller packed with tension, passion, and politics, [this book] offers a rare glimpse into a secretive world, illuminating a fascinating chapter of North Korea's history that helps explain how it became the hermetically sealed, intensely stage-managed country it remains today. Before becoming the world's most notorious dictator, Kim Jong-Il ran North Korea's Ministry for Propaganda and its film studios. Conceiving every movie made, he acted as producer and screenwriter. Despite this control, he was underwhelmed by the available talent and took drastic steps, ordering the kidnapping of Choi Eun-Hee, South Korea's most famous actress, and her ex-husband Shin Sang-Ok, the country's most famous filmmaker. It is announced that the couple will remarry and act as the Dear Leader's film advisors. Together they made seven films; pretending to research a film in Vienna, they flee to the U.S. embassy and are swept to safety.
586 0. ‡aGoodreads Choice Award Nominee for History & Biography (2015),
586 0. ‡aALCS Dagger for Non-fiction Nominee (2015)
60010. ‡aKim, Chŏng-il, ‡d1942-2011.
60010. ‡aSin, Sang-ok, ‡d1926-2006 ‡xKidnapping, 1978.
60010. ‡aCh'oe, Ŭn-hŭi, ‡d1930-2018 ‡xKidnapping, 1978.
650 0. ‡aMotion pictures ‡zKorea (North) ‡xHistory ‡y20th century.
650 0. ‡aMotion picture producers and directors ‡zKorea (South) ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aActresses ‡zKorea (South) ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aKidnapping.
651 0. ‡aKorea (North)
651 0. ‡aKorea (South)
655 7. ‡aNarrative non-fiction.
655 7. ‡aHistory.
655 7. ‡aBiographies. ‡2lcgft
901 . ‡a167472 ‡bAUTOGEN ‡c167472 ‡tbiblio

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