The Propaganda Game
Director: Alvaro Longoria
Actors: Alvaro Longoria
Release Date: Thursday 26th February 0026
Genre(s): Documentary
Running time: 98 minutes
Films about North Korea are always hampered by the fact that trying to film in North Korea is a losing prospect. The Hermit Kingdom's stance on media is well-known and its own media, if you can call it, is truly laughable. Nevertheless, documentarians and filmmakers still try to crack the shield and make something incisive and new.
Alvaro Longoria's history as a producer is well-documented, working with Steven Soderbergh on Che and Oliver Stone on Looking For Fidel. His first directorial effort sees him take off to North Korea, ostensibly to document what North Korean society looks like. However, the film takes an intriguing turn when Alvaro is introduced to Alejandro, a fellow Spaniard who became a sympathiser for the regime and a tour guide for the trip. The film takes a wide approach at how North Korea controls its population through constant barrages of media, be it the godhead imagery of the Kims, the overbearing Stalinist architecture or even the somewhat-grounded belief that the US doesn't have its interests at heart.
Some of the footage Alvaro captures is truly bizarre, one in particular sees him going to a Catholic church and later discovering that it was most likely filled with actors. Ostensibly, it's a video diary of his time in North Korea, but the clearly-brainwashed Alejandro takes the centre stage and becomes the focus of the documentary itself. That's a smart move by Alvaro; without Alejandro, the documentary would essentially be a travelogue in a strange country with a PowerPoint presentation about media manipulation tacked onto the side of it.
Overall, it's an enjoyable and fascinating watch with some truly head-scratching moments littered throughout.
