Rediscovered North Korean Cinema: Centre Forward June 30, 2011

We kick off Independence Day weekend with a genuine curiosity. Recently digitally restored, Centre Forward is very well known in North Korea but has never been seen internationally. It’s the story of a young soccer player and his brutal training regime. For the good of the team and the country, he pushes himself to his limits. Directed by Pak Chong-song, considered one of the DPRK’s finest filmmakers, this is a rare opportunity to see a film from a country which we in the West are totally mystified by. Screening made possible by Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based North Korean travel agency. (1978/restored in 2010, 75 min, digital)