Beyond Utopia
| Beyond Utopia | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Madeleine Gavin |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Kim Hyun-seok |
| Edited by | Madeleine Gavin |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release date | January 21, 2023 (Sundance) |
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |
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| Box office | $28,194[1] |
Beyond Utopia is a 2023 American documentary film directed by Madeleine Gavin. The film debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The documentary centers around Sengeun Kim, a pastor who defected from North to South Korea and who facilitates North Korean defections.
Release[edit]
Beyond Utopia debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023.[2] The film was screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in the "Documentary Showcase" section on October 8, 2023.[3] In the United States, distributor Roadside Attractions will release the film in select theaters in late 2023, which allows the film to qualify for Academy Award consideration. Fathom Events acquired distribution rights for a nationwide two-day screening on October 23, and October 24, 2023.[4]
Reception[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 40 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "A documentary that feels like a thriller, Beyond Utopia is a gripping -- and frightening -- glimpse of life under oppression."[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]
Writing for /Film, Ben Pearson awarded the film a score of 9 out of 10 and found the handheld footage to be "nothing short of extraordinary."[7] Variety's Owen Gleiberman praised the film for showing audiences the "forgotten" tragedy of North Korea through its use of impressive first-hand camerawork.[8] In a more mixed review, Daniel Fienberg, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, found the film to have an tension-filled and emotional story while following the defecting families, but derided the inclusion of a "dry and lifeless" history lesson on North Korea that didn't fit alongside the compelling first-hand accounts.[9]
Accolades[edit]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundance Film Festival | 29 January 2023 | U.S. Documentary Competition: Grand Jury Prize | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | [10] |
| U.S. Documentary Competition: Audience Award | Won | ||||
| Sydney Film Festival | 18 June 2023 | GIO Audience Award for Best International Documentary | Won | [11] | |
| Jerusalem Film Festival | 23 July 2023 | In Spirit for Freedom Award | Nominated | [12] | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 3 November 2023 | Best Documentary Film | Nominated | [13] | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | 12 November 2023 | Best Documentary Feature | Nominated | [14] | |
| Best Political Documentary | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Madeleine Gavin | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nominated | ||||
| Cinema Eye Honors | 12 January 2023 | Audience Choice Prize | Beyond Utopia | Pending | [15] |
| Outstanding Production | Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen and Sue Mi Terry | Pending |
References[edit]
- ^ "Beyond Uptopia (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "Beyond Utopia | Sundance Film Festival". festivalplayer.sundance.org. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List". Busan International Film Festival. September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ Morfoot, Addie (August 28, 2023). "Sundance Doc 'Beyond Utopia' Scores U.S. Theatrical Release From Fathom Events and Roadside Attractions (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "Beyond Utopia". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Beyond Utopia". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Pearson, Ben (January 25, 2023). "Beyond Utopia Review: A Jaw-Dropping Documentary About Escape From North Korea [Sundance]". /Film. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (January 24, 2023). "'Beyond Utopia' Review: A Staggering Look at the Nightmare of North Korea, and Some Brave Souls Who Try to Escape It". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (January 25, 2023). "'Beyond Utopia' Review: An Uneven but Gripping Doc About North Korean Defectors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt; Debruge, Peter (January 27, 2023). "Sundance Winners: 'A Thousand and One' Takes U.S. Dramatic Jury Prize (Complete List)". Variety. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ "The winners of the 70th Sydney Film Festival". Sydney Film Festival. June 20, 2023. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ "Beyond Utopia". Jerusalem Film Festival. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (October 3, 2023). "Asia Pacific Screen Awards: Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'Evil Does Not Exist' Leads Nominations & First Round Winners Announced". Deadline. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (October 16, 2023). "Critics Choice Documentary Awards: 'American Symphony' Leads Nominations, Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Lands Nod After Record-Setting Weekend". Variety. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (October 19, 2023). "'The 1619 Project,' 'Nothing Lasts Forever' Lead Charge As Cinema Eye Honors Announces First Round Of Documentary Nominations [Full List]". Deadline. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
External links[edit]
Beyond Utopia review – breathlessly tense documentary follows escaping North Koreans
Madeleine Gavin’s prize-winning film about covert missions to rescue exiles is a fraught, compelling watch
It’s arguably one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It’s certainly the most secretive, making this remarkable documentary about North Korea and the exiles who attempt to flee its deadly grip both a fascinating and eye-opening exposé and a nail-biter of a real-life thriller.
This Sundance prize-winning film, made by Madeleine Gavin just before Covid-19 prompted a further tightening of the regime’s grip on its borders and citizens, is a breathlessly tense account of the covert rescue operations of Pastor Sung-eun Kim. A resolutely cheerful South Korean Christian minister and activist, Kim oversees an “underground railway” that spirits North Korean exiles away from the treacherous Chinese border country, through Vietnam and Laos and finally to safety in Thailand.
It’s a wildly risky endeavour: Kim broke his spine on one rescue trip and faces imprisonment if he’s caught in China. Gavin’s understandably jittery handheld cameras accompany one such journey – that of a family of five, including two young children and an octogenarian granny. It’s compelling, illuminating and impossibly stressful.
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