Aside from the numerous North Korean documentaries I have watched through out the years, this is the first fiction film I have ever seen from this country, and it was exciting to see something different. I was able to view it at a screening with one of the directors, Nicholas Bonner who spoke about how it was to create this film in a country that is typically very off limit to outsiders. (more on this later).
In the end, I give this movie 3 stars. It was very entertaining, and as I had said before, nice to see something different. It was also cool to see what is popular and the kind of humor North Korean audiences have. However, even though it has western influence in the film, you could still tell a huge difference between what is typical in Western films, to what is typical in North Korean films. It is said that the Western producers/directors actually convinced the film studio to steer "toward[s] comedy and away from the more predictable propaganda line of triumph through hard work". The movie has moments of humor and romance, however in my opinion, I still felt there was underlying propaganda weaved into the cheerful storyline. 
Comrade Kim Goes Flying follows a coal miner, Kim Yong Mi played by Han Jong Sim who is an actually acrobat in real life. "Comrade Kim", as she is called throughout the film, has had a dream of becoming a gymnast since she was a small child. She has hopes of soaring through the air like the many athletes in the People's Circus (a very popular sport/ entertainment in North Korea). She is given the opportunity to work construction in the capital of Pyongyang, where the circus is located, and upon arrival she decides to audition for it. Upon her failure to succeed, she meets one of the stars of the show, the arrogant trapeze artist, Pak Jang Phil, who belittles her, claiming that miners belong underground and not in the air. Determined to prove him wrong, Comrade Kim bands together with her fellow miners/construction workers and creates a "circus" of her own.
The film frequently uses animation to cut between scenes, and to Western audiences it can give off the feeling of propaganda type artwork, however, it is said to connect to the protagonist's emotions throughout the film. The film is also very strange in terms, that it is about an individual, and a woman, nonetheless, pursuing her dreams. Normally in North Korea, films are more about the collective and not the individual. I believe, it really does a great job to show characters that have a range of human behavior, aside from typical propaganda films normally created in North Korea.
As I had mentioned earlier, I was able to see the film at a screening with Director Bonner. After the film, he participated in a Q&A and no questions were off limits. Bonner, who has been traveling to Pyongyang for many years, was very open to audiences questions.
Below is a discussion panel with the directors/producers who worked on this film.
(Not from the screening I attended)
(Not from the screening I attended)
As of now, the film is not viewable on Netflix or any streaming sites, but you can purchase it on DVD through the film's website. Please check out the trailer for Comrade Kim Goes Flying below.
I hope this was an enjoyable review and you found it very interesting!
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W
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