From 2003 to 2007, Brigitte Weich followed four members of the North Korean women’s soccer team for her 2009 documentary Hana, dul, sed…. In this sequel, the women reflect on their adventures in soccer, which took them to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and on their subsequent lives. They are strikingly candid as they speak about their families, friendships and the unconditional love and commitment they feel for their country.
In addition to the former soccer players, the film brings in the female director of a television series about the team which was made around the same time as Weich’s first documentary. The clips from this series, presenting a feminized and romanticized version of the team’s successes, develops this film into a subtle examination of the key role played by image control in a dictatorship like North Korea—in the background of almost every shot there is either a portrait or a statue of “Eternal Leader” Kim Il-Sung.
The documentary quietly exposes the structures underlying the way history is presented, while also adding depth to the often somewhat grotesque image of North Korea.
Stills
