I know a lot of you TLers are documentary lovers and I would consider myself one as well. A friend linked me to a documentary series about North Korea and I have to say, it's a must watch.

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

It's a 3 part series where these guys from VBS manage to get into North Korea by bribing a chinese consulate and they have the most absolutely bizarre experience.

I've read a bit about North Korea, but actually seeing these guys experience in the country adds a whole new perspective. I especially felt sad for the "tea girl" working at a tea shop when she probably gets about 1-2 customers every 6 months.

il0seonpurpose

Korea (South)5638 Posts

February 16 2010 05:35 GMT

Will watch!

Wait, did that guy go by himself? And how did he manage to carry on a camera?

I wonder where all those people from the subway are going...

Disregard

China10252 Posts

February 16 2010 05:37 GMT

Yea, seen all of their documentaries. Some hilarious stuff.

lazz

Australia3119 Posts

February 16 2010 05:40 GMT

yeah seen this before its mildly entertaining but the tea girl scene is grossly sensationalised im sure she does other shit too

lokiM

United States3407 Posts

February 16 2010 05:42 GMT

this was actually posted somewhere, cant remember tho =\

SanguineToss

Canada815 Posts

February 16 2010 05:43 GMT

On February 16 2010 14:37 Disregard wrote:
Yea, seen all of their documentaries. Some hilarious stuff.

hows it fucking hilarious

Disregard

China10252 Posts

February 16 2010 05:45 GMT

Watch the other documentaries they did, you would comprehend what Im saying.

RoieTRS

United States2569 Posts

February 16 2010 05:46 GMT

On February 16 2010 14:43 SanguineToss wrote:

Show nested quote +

hows it fucking hilarious

Watch the documentary before criticizing.

DoctorHelvetica

United States15034 Posts

February 16 2010 05:46 GMT

On February 16 2010 14:40 lazz wrote:
yeah seen this before its mildly entertaining but the tea girl scene is grossly sensationalised im sure she does other shit too

Well, it's the filmers take on her life, it might not necessarily be true.

Not really the point though, doesn't make North Korea any less fucked up. It's actually just really sad.

CaucasianAsian

Korea (South)11591 Posts

February 16 2010 05:51 GMT

#10

I enjoyed as well
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1875007335054132657#

Mickey

United States2606 Posts

February 16 2010 06:52 GMT

#11

I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it. I loved how the North Korean government thought they could fool them, but it's so blatant the whole trip was a charade.

Dgtl

Canada889 Posts

February 16 2010 06:56 GMT

#12

Jesus, North korea is crazy. I knew it was kinda off, but not this off. The whole mass gymnastics thing really stuck out for me out of all of the events, that was bloody crazy.

AcrossFiveJulys

United States3612 Posts

February 16 2010 07:35 GMT

#13

Wow. I've been waiting to see something like this; north korea fascinates me. By the way, those guys either greatly exaggerated the guard's threats about filming or they are extremely lucky to have made it out of there.

Also, I wonder if every tourist is treated in the same manner as they were?

And how does bribing Chinese foreign affair workers earn you this trip to north korea?

3clipse

Canada2555 Posts

February 16 2010 07:47 GMT

#14

Already seen this one. Very interesting, though. North Korea is in my top 5 places I'd like to visit.

iloahz

United States964 Posts

February 16 2010 08:13 GMT

#15

the tea girl is very cute.

samachking

Bahrain4949 Posts

February 16 2010 08:50 GMT

#16

Thanks for reminding me to watch this. I wanted to watch this a couple of times before this but always forgot about it. It's a pretty good documentary and quite enlightening although really really scary.

Imagist

Australia484 Posts

February 16 2010 09:47 GMT

#17

I'd seen it before and I think it really highlights the surreal differences between NK's ideal projected image, its actual projected image, and what it really is like. I found it fascinating and would recommend to anyone to watch it.

DoctorHelvetica

United States15034 Posts

February 16 2010 09:52 GMT

#18

Yeah. I wouldn't recommend it as a serious documentary (with a lot of numbers/facts) and it is biased, but it does a perfect job at just showing what North Korea is like from the PoV of a westerner, first hand.

North Korea is like one giant ghost town and I find that very very very disturbing : /

Jibba

United States22883 Posts

February 16 2010 11:20 GMT

#19

BBC had a really good documentary about the mass games.

IMO, the most ridiculous parts of the N. Korean collective conscience is their preoccupation with the US (power goes out, it's the American aggressor's fault!) and the complete lack of China in any type of acknowledgement or understanding. The country is basically on life support from Beijing, both politically and economically (most of the population survives on aid food), yet none of them seem to realize it. I don't think the government even admits that the Chinese had a significant role in the Korean War. It was the N. Koreans who did it all with their collective will, after imperialist America invaded them.