A State of Mind

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Two young North Korean gymnasts prepare for an unprecedented competition in this documentary that offers a rare look into the communist society and the daily lives of North Korean families. For more than eight months, film crews follow 13-year-old Pak Hyon Sun and 11-year-old Kim Song Yun and their families as the girls train for the Mass Games, a spectacular nationalist celebration involving thousands of performers.
Netflix Rating: 3.7
Rotten Tomatoes: Fresh 93%: Fresh: 25 Rotten: 2 Rotten Tomatoes page
Top Rotten Tomatoes Critics: One leaves the film with the Twilight Zone sense that the place isn't quite the hellhole prior reports have suggested. full review

Ed Park, Village Voice

This fascinating documentary details day-to-day life in the hard-line Communist state of North Korea.

Richard James Havis, Hollywood Reporter

It's a quietly wrenching eye-opener. full review

Ty Burr, Boston Globe

A fresh, straightforward portrayal of what the film calls 'the least visible ... least known ... least understood ... country in the world.' full review

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times

The biggest value of the movie is the depiction of Pyongyang life, the elaborate Mass Games choreography, a wondrous road trip to the revered Mount Paektu, and the ideological mind-set of typical North Korean citizens. full review

G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle

A nifty documentary by Brit Daniel Gordon, who directed, wrote and narrated.

V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Admirably non-judgmental docu about life in 'the least visited, known, understood country in the world,' per Brit director Daniel Gordon, brings a refreshing balance to the usual blind vilification of the country. full review

Derek Elley, Variety

A portrait of the power of power. full review

John Anderson, Newsday

A State of Mind offers a rare and often chilling glimpse into the culture of North Korea. full review

Dana Stevens, New York Times

Not even the widest political chasms, Gordon finds, can eradicate the universal pleasure of a young girl's giggle. full review

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

full review by Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Journal-Constitution