• Director(s)

    Madeleine Gavin

  • Production Year

    2023

  • Genre(s)

    Documentary

  • Approx. running minutes

    107m

Film

Beyond Utopia

real violence, bloody images, images of real dead bodies

This chilling documentary focuses on the harsh regime of North Korea and the grave risks faced by its defectors. It includes disturbing footage of real death and violence, emotional distress and descriptions of torture.…

This chilling documentary focuses on the harsh regime of North Korea and the grave risks faced by its defectors. It includes disturbing footage of real death and violence, emotional distress and descriptions of torture.

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Content Advice(May contain spoilers)

violence

threat and horror

language

sexual violence and sexual threat

suicide

disturbing images

theme

sex

  • Director(s)

    Madeleine Gavin

  • Production Year

    2023

  • Genre(s)

    Documentary

  • Approx. running minutes

    107m

real violence, bloody images, images of real dead bodies
Classified Date:
10/10/2023
Version:
2D
Use:
Cinema
Distributor:
Dogwoof
violence
There is real footage of a man being executed by gunshot; this is grainy and undetailed. Footage of the build up to the killing of Colonel Gaddafi is shown, as a mob beats him, with sight of blood over his face and clothes. We also see real footage of people being beaten with sticks and of a suspect being struck and slammed into walls by a member of the military; this results in a bloody smear over a wall. There is occasional footage of real conflict, including gunfire and explosions. There are verbal references to the brutalities of the North Korean regime, which include descriptions of public executions and graphic accounts of torture. We see a photo of a man on his knees about to be beheaded.
threat and horror
We see footage tracking a desperate, frightened family's progress as they navigate dark forests when attempt to defect from North Korea; we are told they risk death and torture and hear accounts referring to others who have suffered these fates.
language
There is mild bad language ('bastard') along with milder terms such as 'screw' and 'jerk'.
sexual violence and sexual threat
We are told about women who have been sold into 'sex-chatting' or prostitution. There are undetailed references to the sterilisation and rape of women.
suicide
There are verbal references to people considering taking their own life in the face of oppression or emotional trauma.
disturbing images
There are sequences in which we are shown images of dead or injured people lying on the ground. We also hear testimony of people describing seeing dead bodies floating down rivers and in other settings. A woman tells a news reporter that schoolchildren are made to watch public executions and that she saw her first hanging at the age of seven.
theme
A woman is distraught when she learns her son has been captured by the regime and is likely being tortured in a detention camp. There are scenes of emotional upset as people talk about defecting and leaving loved ones behind. There are references to people escaping North Korea being forced into giving up their internal organs.
real violence, bloody images, images of real dead bodies
Classified Date:
03/01/2024
Version:
2D
Use:
VOD/Streaming
Distributor:
Dogwoof
violence
There is real footage of a man being executed by gunshot; this is grainy and undetailed. Footage of the build up to the killing of Colonel Gaddafi is shown, as a mob beats him, with sight of blood over his face and clothes. We also see real footage of people being beaten with sticks and of a suspect being struck and slammed into walls by a member of the military; this results in a bloody smear over a wall. There is occasional footage of real conflict, including gunfire and explosions. There are verbal references to the brutalities of the North Korean regime, which include descriptions of public executions and graphic accounts of torture. We see a photo of a man on his knees about to be beheaded.
threat and horror
We see footage tracking a desperate, frightened family's progress as they navigate dark forests when attempt to defect from North Korea; we are told they risk death and torture and hear accounts referring to others who have suffered these fates.
language
There is mild bad language ('bastard') along with milder terms such as 'screw' and 'jerk'.
sexual violence and sexual threat
We are told about women who have been sold into 'sex-chatting' or prostitution. There are undetailed references to the sterilisation and rape of women.
suicide
There are verbal references to people considering taking their own life in the face of oppression or emotional trauma.
disturbing images
There are sequences in which we are shown images of dead or injured people lying on the ground. We also hear testimony of people describing seeing dead bodies floating down rivers and in other settings. A woman tells a news reporter that schoolchildren are made to watch public executions and that she saw her first hanging at the age of seven.
theme
A woman is distraught when she learns her son has been captured by the regime and is likely being tortured in a detention camp. There are scenes of emotional upset as people talk about defecting and leaving loved ones behind. There are references to people escaping North Korea being forced into giving up their internal organs.
Classified Date:
10/10/2023
Version:
2D
Use:
Cinema
Distributor:
Dogwoof

  • Classified date

    03/01/2024

  • Language

    English