Kimjongilia

I watched this movie also during the break. North Korean botanists created a new breed of flower for Kim Jong Il's birthday, hence the title of the movie. This film is a documentary of the poor conditions of the country under the rule of Kim Jong Il. There are 15 concentration camps in North Korea for dissidents. Many are there for ridiculous reasons, such as criticizing Kim Jong Il or listening to South Korean radio. His father, Kim Il Sung, is viewed by many as god-like and many worship him. Kim Jong Il was seen as a father figure. If you did commit a crime during his reign, your family would be purged for 3 generations. It also detailed the floods and food shortages of the 1990s. Estimates of fatalities during this time period ranges from 600,000 to 3,000,000. Soldiers themselves, who you would think would be well taken care of, also starved and survived on very little. One other interesting fact is the propaganda put out by the government in commercials and movies that show an ABUNDANCE of food for all North Koreans! Interesting movie on a topic I was definitely unaware of before this course.