There are stories of friendships made and broken, betrayals, frustrations, and the agents ultimate dedication to a cause to make the world a safer place.This series explores what happens to police officers permitted to take drugs and live long-term, elaborate lies in order to catch criminals. DON'T MISS IT." CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. At one time, there were four Americans living in North Korea. 'Crossing the Line' follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of eve Read all'Crossing the Line' follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. "IT MAKE FOR REMARKABLE, RIVETING VIEWING AND GIVES A RARE AND UNSENTIMENTAL INSIGHT INTO ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S REMOTE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. A State of Mind occasionally relied on the voyeuristic pleasure derived from glimpses of everyday life in Pyongyang. CROSSING THE LINE continues to play a role in raising awareness amongst engaged students and health professionals. (Its first public, non-festival screening was on BBC.) Two Aboriginal colleagues watched the video. The eccentricities associated with its leaders, the Kim dynasty, and the hardline communism they've forced upon the country also make audience immersion a fait accompli. "Crossing the Line" tells of four American servicemen who defected to North Korea, with an . Request an update here. No-one knew why they did it. Crossing the Line 2006, Documentary, 1h 31m 90% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 85% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings What to know critics consensus An engrossing look at the aftermath of largely forgotten. The narrative tours the globe and spans decades. Undercover, a three part docume. Fisherman: If you only have sons, they must get into a lot of mischief. Dresnok keeps talking about three other soldiers who defected after him, and their lives in North Korea. It could simultaneously be a feature-length profile of one man, an investigation of how North Korea treated four prized defectors, and a snapshot of a feud between two men who have been through too much but tell us too little. The film is about a former U.S. Army soldier, James J. Dresnok, who defected to North Korea on 15 August 1962. James Dresnok: Oh, don't even talk about it. Consequently, filmmakers wishing to engage with it would have to be more sophisticated in their approach too. Today, just one remains. North Korea, 2016. This is by far the best portion of Crossing the Line, and it encapsulates how tough to categorize the film is. East Courtyard, Your support ensures great journalism and education on underreported and systemic global issues, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Since 1993, No. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote Indigenous community. Our most ambitious documentary and the most amazing of stories if this was fiction it would be unbelievable: In the 1960's, four US soldiers serving in the Korean Demilitarised Zone embarked on an extraordinary journey. After several weeks, Paul encounters a young girl who is brandishing a rope, threatening suicide. Crossing the line is a 1-hour video that charts the paths of two Tasmanian medical students, Amy and Paul, during an 8-week placement on Mornington Island in north-west Queensland. To the filmmakers' credit, they don't shy away from this. Released in 2008, Gordon's Crossing the Line addresses the same subject from a very different point of view: that of one James Joseph Dresnok, a U.S. Army private who, while stationed in the Demilitarized Zone that separates that country from its neighbor to the south in 1962, abruptly decided to defect. subject to the Medical Journal of Australia's editorial discretion. In conclusion. +86 10 6416 7544 present, BBC, E Pictures, Koryo Tours, IFG2, info@koryostudio.com. CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. What no one knew at that time, except for the filmmakers, was that a second American defector, James Joseph Dresnok, was alive. CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. In the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, four US soldiers defected to North Korea. Bridging the Gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy remains a key issue across Australia. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote Indigenous community. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Anna Broinowski, goes to North Korea to meet the masters of propaganda filmmaking. CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. Dresnok seemed hurt by Jenkins' allegations of physical abuse by Dresnok and the North Korean regime and angrily denied them. This became a major international scandal at the time, its tentacles even reaching out to ensnare then-President George Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. There is a need for new thinking. The first Western interview with Comrade Joe, James Joseph Dresnok, an American soldier who defected to North Korea in 1962 and has embraced life in the secret state ever since. The director and cinematographer, Kaye Harrison, approached me with the idea of following two non-indigenous medical students on a work placement to the remote community of Mornington island, where they would meet Aboriginal people for the first time and experience some of the complexities of Indigenous health issues. Crossing the line is a 1-hour video that charts the paths of two Tasmanian medical students, Amy and Paul, during an 8-week placement on Mornington Island in north-west Queensland. North Korea as a setting offers artists so much enigma and drama because the country itself is larger than life. Classification: Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G, Proceed with ordering this titleand for pricing information . In Episode Two, Crossing the Line, undercover agents take on the gangs in the 1980s and the programme hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons.A shocking series which goes behind the headlines to find out what it is really like to work as an undercover agent. He has three sons from two wives. Its fraught history is explained well in the film when it chronicles the Korean War and the societal perception of the United States. Cinequanon and Dongsoong Art Center, Executive Producers: All rights reserved****Sometimes you've got to join them to beat them. January 16, 2017. She undertook research trips to get the support of the community, the medical organisations and the University of Tasmania. It would address reculturation and the rejuvenation of Aboriginal identities. They cannot avoid the experiences of the people served by the hospital. This style represents a step down for Gordon, whose camera in A State of Mind was patient and unobtrusive. Crossing the Line lacks the clean through-line that A State of Mind was born with, but its sprawl is part of its appeal. Beijing, China Aug. 10, 2007. All rights reserved****Sometimes youve got to join them to beat them. Crossing the Line (Korean: , A Blue-Eyed Pyongyang Citizen in North Korea) is a 2006 British documentary film by Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner. Teaching English at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, he was the subject of the film Crossing the Line ", Last edited on 15 December 2022, at 00:20. A British documentary about US Army defector James Dresnok currently living in North Korea after having defected during the 60s. 'Crossing the Line' follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. Shopping at a supermarket. These are tales from the criminal underworld as told by the people who lived it and living a lie among dangerous criminals is not for the faint-hearted!Undercover cops have provided material for countless movies and TV dramas, and their real stories are just as gripping. Amy McCormack (medical student) and Louise Roughsey, Silhouette of youth on street (photo: Paul Joffe), Hector Thomas and Paul Joffe (medical student). It's very gratifying to know that the film encourages discussion and debate about such complex issues, makes me feel like I've done my job! However. Can testimony from these cops hold up in court? Films. If ordering please let us know the SET or PORTRAIT number and size you require, thank you While The Game of Their Lives and A State of Mind were sports documentaries, Crossing the Line narrates the tale of James Joseph Dresnok, an American soldier who defected to the North in 1962 while stationed at the Demilitarized Zone on the South Korean side. His local Aboriginal mentor explains how her son shot himself and how important she considers early intervention to be. She weeps with the people, wrestling with the meaning of her Christian faith as she listens to stories of missionaries who removed children from their families and disciplined the people. [5][6][7][8], Robert Willoughby The Bradt Travel Guide: North Korea 2008, page 39 "In a further twist, they found film fame with roles in DPRK films vilifying the US, with Dresnok typecast as an evil American and making firm friends with several North Korean film stars who appear in Crossing the Line and discussed the ", Justin Corfield, Historical Dictionary of Pyongyang 2013, page 43 "After Doina died of lung cancer, Dresnok married the daughter of a Togolese diplomat and a North Korean woman, and had a son. Conceptually, Crossing the Line is a huge jump from Gordon's previous North Korean works. Therefore. Certainly it must be born of Aboriginal culture. Until then, however, we have Gordon's engaging if overwrought effort to tide us over. It is well known that North Korea would abduct citizens of other countries and force them to start families inside the country. c. For nearly 40 years their life was. Crossing the line [video recording]. Many viewers might be salivating to see more scenes of Pyongyang, but the plot dictates that a lot of time be spent on faces talking to the camera. For our First Nations communities, January 26th marks the beginning of a long and painful process of colonisation, genocide, and erasure of Indigenous peoples, languages, and culture. When two young non-Indigenous medical students go to work in a remote Aboriginal community their professional precepts and personal ideas are deeply challenged. Given the emphasis on social capital, mutuality and reciprocity in Aboriginal culture, building on that may be the way forward. Like. It reminds us that there are still many stories to be told about North Korea, and that any life inside this Hermit Kingdom is not as self-contained as we might assume. For instance. A "Girl Power" Film. Over the course of its ninety-minute runtime, Crossing the Line delves into the psyches of prisoners of war, the act of defection, and the process of assimilating into a society that prides itself on its homogeneity. Amy attends a church service at a time when many funerals are being held for young men. email orders@roninfilms.com.au. Includes investments, loans and grants. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to li. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to li Read all'Crossing the Line' follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. 1. They're like cats and dogs! accepted. The show features candid interviews with former agents and their operators, as well as dramatic stylisations of key events. In 1962, a U.S. soldier sent to guard the peace in South Korea deserted his unit, walked across the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to the Cold War enemy, the communist state of North Korea. I don't know. At the same time, for Aboriginal communities to cross the line puts their cultural identity at risk. A State of Mind was selected for competition at Tribeca Film Festival and officially selected to Pusan International Film Festival, Sheffield International Documentary Festival and to International Documentary Festival Amsterdam. It's a strange and fascinating tale, all . The plot is laid out in roughly fifteen-minute chunks: easy divisions to insert breaks for advertisements, I suspect. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote Indigenous community. All Rights Reserved. He is one of only six American soldiers ever to have voluntarily turned themselves over to the Communist regime after the Korean War, and, today, the last one remaining inside. The highest compliment I can pay Crossing the Line is that it serves as a vital journal of an important time in recent North Korean affairsand that the production of this documentary would make for a highly intriguing feature film one day. Distinctive storytelling for the big screen, Ambition, creativity, audience engagement, Quality, cultural value, innovation, diversity, Opportunities for First Nations storytellers, Insights into challenges facing the industry, International awards for Australian projects and people, Australian screenings at international festivals, International Pitching Events and Talent Labs, International Marketing Support: Festivals and awards, All Screen Australia production applications, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Chaoyang District, 27 Bei San Li Tun Nan This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Jenkins now lives in Japan with his wife and daughters. Crossing the Line, which was narrated by actor Christian Slater, was nominated for the Grand Jury . [2][3][4], The movie had mostly positive reception. Towards the end of Crossing the Line, a North Korean doctor discloses to the BBC that Dresnok is in failing health, mainly due to heavy drinking and smoking. Time when many funerals are being held for young men documentary about US Army defector James Dresnok currently living North. Gap in Aboriginal culture, building on that may be the way forward height of the United States keeps. And Torres Strait Islander life expectancy remains a key issue across Australia of everyday in. Of Aboriginal identities to the filmmakers ' credit, they must get INTO lot... Youve got to join them to start families inside the country itself is larger life... 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