The Propaganda Game

The Propaganda Game

Released: September 19, 2015

Directed By: Alvaro Longoria

Directed by Alvaro Longoria, the film The Propaganda Game is about North Korea and its propaganda. Alvaro Longoria wanted to show a positive light on North Korea, but by doing so, the film becomes a work of propaganda. He interviewed Alejandro Cao, who apparently is a Special Delegate on North Korea’s Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. By interviewing this person, the film proclaimed itself as propaganda. The interviewee, seemed to never say anything negative about North Korea. Comparing to filming in other countries, it would seem that North Korea has much stricter guidelines and rules to follow for filmmaking. Never once in the film did we see a negative side of North Korea, (the poverty or people struggling). The film portrayed North Korea in such a positive light, it could almost make one to book a ticket and visit.

Similar to the film Under the Sun, one can tell that North Korea has set up a stage for the film. In Under the Sun, the director, Vitaly Mansky, of the film had to follow strict filming rules. Under the Sun, one could that it too could be viewed as propaganda. By following the North Korean authorities who were in charge of locations, escorting the crew 24/7, and always reviewing footage, the North Korean government basically was creating the movie for the director. Mansky had brought a translator, who turned out to be a spy for them, which benefitted the crew to know what the North Korean authorizes were planning.

            Throughout The Propaganda Game, North Korean Leaders were proudly shown on buildings and in trains. No matter where the film looked, propaganda was all around. When the film crew was taken to the border of South Korea and North Korea, North Korea seemed to put on a show. North Korea had women take pictures with the soldiers at the border. This seemed so out of the blue, I figured it was most likely staged by the North Korean government.

            Under the Sun and The Propaganda Game, both filmed in North Korea were under strict rules. Although one of the films, (Under the Sun), captured hidden footage that was not reviewed by North Korean authorities, made its way into a director’s cut of the film. Under the Sun captured the life of a family in North Korea, while The Propaganda Game, portrayed more on the questions and answers people are always asking North Koreans. Both films different in story, but similarity of showing that there is a problem with propaganda in North Korea.