The Lovers and the Despot

The Lovers and the Despot

98 mins | Documentary, History | Sept. 22, 2016

Hong Kong, 1978. South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee is kidnapped by North Korean operatives following orders from dictator Kim Jong-il. Her ex-husband, film director Shin Sang-ok, undertakes her search, but soon after he is kidnapped as well. In 1983, after living through years of tribulations, Kim Jong-il puts them in charge of the North Korean film industry in the hope of gaining international recognition.

The Lovers and the Despot

98 mins | Documentary, History | Sept. 22, 2016

The Lovers and the Despot
Hong Kong, 1978. South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee is kidnapped by North Korean operatives following orders from dictator Kim Jong-il. Her ex-husband, film director Shin Sang-ok, undertakes her search, but soon after he is kidnapped as well. In 1983, after living through years of tribulations, Kim Jong-il puts them in charge of the North Korean film industry in the hope of gaining international recognition.
IMDb rating 6.6
Producers Submarine, Tigerlily Films, Pumpernickel Films, Hellflower Films
Original title The Lovers and the Despot
Directors Ross Adam, Robert Cannan
Writers Jim Hession, Ross Adam, Robert Cannan

Cast

Paul Courtenay Hyu

as Shin Sang-ok

Yuna Shin

as Choi Eun-hee

Choi Eun-hee

as Self - Actress / Various Roles

Michael Yi

as Self - US Intelligence Officer

Shin Jeong-kyun

as Self - Choi and Shin's Son

Shin Myung-yim

as Self - Choi and Shin's Daughter

Choi Kyung-ok

as Self - Choi's Brother

Iain T. A. Hall

as Self - RHK Police Inspector (1975-79)

Pierre Rissient

as Self - Film Critic

Lee Jang-ho

as Self - Filmmaker

David Straub

as Self - US SD Officer (1984-86)

Jang Jin-sun

as Self - Kim's Former Court Poet

Nishida Tetsuo

as Self - Film Critic

Derek Malcolm

as Self - Film Critic

Dean S. Robinson

as Self - Vienna US Embassy Officer (1985-87)

Shin Sang-ok

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

Kim Jong-il

as Self - Politician (archive footage)

Kim Il-sung

as Self - Politician (archive footage)

Kim Jong-un

as Self - Politician (archive footage)