HONG KONG, January 23, 2015 — On this night, Asia Society Hong Kong Center proudly presented a public screening of the lovable rom-com Comrade Kim Goes Flying at our Miller Theater. This movie, set and filmed in North Korea, chronicles the journey of Kim, a young, ambitious but courageous aspiring trapeze artist, in conquering the obstacles of being a female miner to achieving her dreams.

Co-director Nicholas Bonner shared the movie's cultural significance as the first Western-financed movie to be filmed in North Korea, the “first entertainment and girl-power film” in North Korea, and how it tapped into traditionally taboo topics in the North Korean film industry such as social mobility, female empowerment and romantic scenes.

Bonner remarked towards the end of the event, “[This is a] film where you go in, you get entertained, pay for your ticket, and you leave smiling – you’ve had your escape – and this was what the North Korean audience needed”. The night ended with a room full of smiles and loud applause.

Event Information: Comrade Kim Goes Flying

Video: Q & A with filmmaker Nicholas Bonner (30 min., 55 sec.)