Netherlands, 60min
Dir: Raphael Wilking & Hans van Dijk

Declared as a nation on the axis of evil by George W. Bush, North Korea is the country many love to hate. Friends of Kim is an hilarious and ultimately sobering account of the first time an international group of Kim Jong II sympathizers from the western world visits North Korea.

Their mission is to chronicle the "International March for Korea's Peace and Reunification" organized by the Korean Friendship Association in order to show solidarity with the regime and the North Korean people. The KFA, is a worldwide group of supporters of North Korea. They are young, idealistic and fed up with the consumerism of the Western world. Its leader is a 29-year-old Spanish citizen, Alejandro Cao de Benos de Les y Perez.

In 12 days, the 22 participants of the march travel through a country full of monuments, propaganda and poverty. What begins as an idealistic magical mystery tour gradually turns into a nightmare – leading the travelers to discover that the "workers' paradise" is far from heavenly.

LEARN MORE:

Visit the Friends of Kim website for more information.

ABOUT DOC-DEBUT
This film is part of Doc-Debut, a new regular series on Link TV highlighting unique and groundbreaking international documentary films. The series offers American audiences unprecedented perspectives on world events and culture, as seen through the eyes of individuals across the globe.