San Diego Asian Film Festival 2009

South Korea’s official submission to the Academy Awards , CROSSING, has been described as the “Schindler’s List” of North Korea depicting a tragedy that is rarely seen in narrative form. Focused on the politically sensitive issue of North Korean defectors, CROSSING tells the heartwrenching story of a young family struggling with abject poverty.

Kim Yong-su is a miner in a bleak North Korean town who yearns to provide life’s basic necessities to his family. Food is scarce, and Kim’s pregnant wife spends her day searching for wild vegetables, while their 11-year-old son, Joon, plays with an imaginary soccer ball to pass time. When Kim’s wife becomes critically ill, he feels the only way to save her is to risk his own life by crossing into China to find a job and medicine.

After many days without his father, the family’s dire situation takes a turn for the worse. There is no one to turn to, so Joon decides his only hope is the nearly impossible - cross into China and find his father who may or may not be alive. If caught, he knows his punishment will be either hard labor in prison or immediate execution.

Based on interviews and experiences of nearly a hundred North Korean defectors, CROSSING, dramatically exposes the plight, desperation, and human rights injustices of a country hidden from the rest of the world. With powerful performances, especially from the young Shin Myung-cheol as Joon, the images and stories are will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Presented by
Epsilon Systems Solutions
Chong Lee

Co-presented by
LiNK (Liberty in North Korea)