When she saw the film for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival this year, where “Beyond Utopia” won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary, Lee wasn’t moved by the images of life in North Korea or the footage of the escape — as a defector herself, none of that was surprising.
“When I think about ‘Beyond Utopia,’ I just think of the vivid image of my son’s picture on the big screen at Sundance,” Lee said. “Even now, I’m always thinking about trying to talk to brokers, if there’s any way possible to help him. This is always my thought.”
As the film becomes available to view on streaming platforms, Kim hopes it might inspire viewers to support Caleb Mission’s goal of aiding as many defectors as possible. Recently, he told RNS, China increased the penalty for being caught helping a North Korean defector, and since COVID, the cost brokers charge to transport defectors has skyrocketed to $20,000 a person. In October, Human Rights Watch reported, Chinese authorities forcibly deported at least 500 refugees — mostly women — back to North Korea, where they are at risk of imprisonment, torture and execution. Kim said he currently knows of 200 people waiting in China for Caleb Mission to rescue them.
Gavin hopes the film humanizes the plight of the 26 million North Koreans cut off from the rest of the world.
“Every news organization, every person in every country, when we talk about North Korea, every single time we have to talk about the people. We can’t just talk about the missiles or the parades,” said Gavin. “I believe, and this is a form of spirituality, too, that there will be a ripple effect. Change is possible.”
This article originally appeared here.
