TRUE NORTH is a feature-length 3D animated film telling the story of a family held captive in a brutal North Korean political prison camp. Based on years of research and interviews with former political prisoners who defected to South Korea, the film incorporates elements of the real-life experiences of individuals who endured some of the worst human rights abuses of our time.

The film focuses on Yohan, a nine-year old boy from Pyongyang, who is wrongly imprisoned for a crime his father allegedly committed. Yohan’s youthful innocence and his belief in the innate goodness of others is gradually stripped from him as he faces the harsh realities of life and death in the camp. When the world does not treat you like a human, can you find it in yourself to treat others with human decency? We will find the answer following Yohan’s journey of physical and spiritual survival spanning ten years in the camp. It is estimated that over 120,000 innocent people, including elders and children, are imprisoned in political prison camps in North Korea today. At this very moment, these alleged enemies of the State and the Party are enduring starvation, forced labor, torture, and public execution.

 TRUE NORTH offers a fresh approach to this unyielding status quo by shifting the public talking point from nuclear missiles to humanity. The film emotionally engages a global audience, appointing each one of us personally accountable as a protector of the unseen, voiceless, but otherwise relatable individuals hidden behind their prison walls.

The film employs overtly low-polygon aesthetics to ensure that viewers are not emotionally overwhelmed while bearing witness to the horror and brutality of life inside a political prison camp. It was important to strike a balance visually that let viewers know that the events featured in the film were based on real-life testimonies, but not be too realistic, that might make them unable to watch a full 90-minute film because of strong emotional reactions.

Links: https://www.truenorth.watch

Lead animator: Andrey Pratama, Sumimasen
Music composer: Matthew Wilder (Disney’s Mulan)
With support from: TED, Human Rights Watch, No Fence, NK Watch

The horrors of North Korea’s political prisons are personal to Eiji Han Shimizu (JP). Born an ethnic Korean in Japan, he grew up learning about the tragic destinies of many Korean-Japanese families who migrated to North Korea in the 60s and 70s. Some of his family friends are still missing due to successive political purges. Shimizu is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, publisher, and educator. He has produced the highly acclaimed documentary Happy  (2012, USA) and published a series of graphic novels (manga) about the lives of legendary human rights advocates.