CIFF47: PSQ March 22 – April 1, 2023 | Streams April 2 – April 9, 2023

SEOUL TRAIN

Year: 2004
Country: USA, SOUTH KOREA, CHINA
Language: English, Korean, Mandarian
Run Time: 55 minutes

A gripping expos? of North Koreans as they try to escape the horrors of their homeland, described as the world?s largest prison camp. Even if they get to China? there are an estimated quarter-million North Korean refugees living underground in China?they are systematically rounded up and repatriated, where they face torture and death. SEOUL TRAIN uses riveting verit? footage from a secretive ?underground railroad,? along with personal stories and interviews to tell its grisly tale. A brave group of activists and humanitarians have created a miles-long train of safe houses and shelter for these desperate people fleeing into China and then to South Korea, and first-time filmmakers Jim Butterworth, Lisa Sleeth, and Aaron Lubarsky capture and procure images not before seen in the west. It?s believed that when there is a regime change in South Korea that millions of people will flood into China, creating an enormous humanitarian crisis that may make westerners finally sit up and take notice.

Winner Best Documentary - Boulder Film Festival

Winner Best Documentary - Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival

Directors
Jim Butterworth, Aaron Lubarsky, Lisa Sleeth

Producer
Jim Butterworth, Lisa Sleeth

Cinematography
Lisa Sleeth, Jim Butterworth, Ishimaro Jiro, Ahn Chol, Oh Young-phil, Chun Ki-won, Moon Kook-han, Beth Butterworth

Editing
Aaron Lubarsky

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