Meghan Keane
The Daily Caller
February 2, 2010
Drawing the line between information and propaganda can be difficult. In the case of Mads Brügger’s documentary The Red Chapel, it’s nearly impossible. The Danish filmmaker and two friends posed as a pro-socialist comedy troupe called The Red Chapel to gain entrance into North Korea. Under the guise of cultural exchange, Brügger filmed his two-week stay in the country, and the result is a rare glimpse into a closed society that is part satire and part political screed. The film is thoroughly fascinating, and just won the World Cinema grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend.
Because his footage was sent to censors every night, Brügger reserved his commentary for subtitles and voiceover in the film, which gives the humor of “Red Chapel” a level of Sacha Baron Cohen’s style satire. But unlike a project like “Borat,” Brügger’s film has an overt political message. He explained in an interview:
“People don’t know that [North Korea] is Nazi Germany times ten. It’s pure evil.”
The journalist turned filmmaker does not consider himself a conservative, but when it comes to North Korea, his opinions are plain:
“Regarding North Korea, I’m a diehard neoconservative. Maybe that’s a bit too much for some people, but that is how I feel about the matter.”
The article continues at The Daily Caller.
