Over the course of its ninety-minute runtime, Crossing the Line delves into the psyches of prisoners of war, the act of defection, and the process of assimilating into a society that prides itself on its homogeneity. After several weeks, Paul encounters a young girl who is brandishing a rope, threatening suicide. Where does the responsibility for the drug abuse and psychological trauma among undercover agents lie? While The Game of Their Lives and A State of Mind were sports documentaries, Crossing the Line narrates the tale of James Joseph Dresnok, an American soldier who defected to the North in 1962 while stationed at the . Amy attends a church service at a time when many funerals are being held for young men. Crossing The Line is the tragic yet uplifting story of athletics prodigy Danny Harris, and his battles with his demons on and off the track. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote Indigenous community. It was directed and produced by British filmmakers Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner, and was shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It showed Dresnok in present-day in Pyongyang (where he lived to his death), interacting with his North Korean family and friends. Captured by the North Koreans, Dresnok became the first of several American GI's to "defect" to the communist North and went on to be enormous propaganda tools to the regime of the time. If not this is just to pass the time. After a weeks briefing in Mt Isa, the flight to Mornington Island teleports them to another world, where the health and social needs of the Indigen-ous people are vast and often unmet. Crossing the Line is the final installment in director Daniel Gordon's trilogy of films shot inside North Korea. There are stories of friendships made and broken, betrayals, frustrations, and the agents ultimate dedication to a cause to make the world a safer place.This series explores what happens to police officers permitted to take drugs and live long-term, elaborate lies in order to catch criminals. Its a story of defection, kidnap, love, and political intrigue, all set and captured in the most secret and inaccessible country on earth: North Korea. We see Dresnok's home in Richmond, Virginia, as well as a fellow defector's reunion with his wife in Indonesia. Dresnok remains in North Korea and lives with his family in the capital city, Pyongyang, and has not had contact with outsiders since his defection in 1962. After arriving at the Mornington Island Community Hospital, life expands for the two students. Add to that the truly unique saga of Dresnok and you have a potent cocktail. Similarly. Playing in a water park. For our First Nations communities, January 26th marks the beginning of a long and painful process of colonisation, genocide, and erasure of Indigenous peoples, languages, and culture. Classification: Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G, Proceed with ordering this titleand for pricing information . Teaching English at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, he was the subject of the film Crossing the Line ", Last edited on 15 December 2022, at 00:20. Chaoyang District, Shortly this will also incorporate project-specific market and festival support provided by Screen Australia since its inception in July 2008. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote Indigenous community. If ordering please let us know the SET or PORTRAIT number and size you require, thank you A State of Mind occasionally relied on the voyeuristic pleasure derived from glimpses of everyday life in Pyongyang. She weeps with the people, wrestling with the meaning of her Christian faith as she listens to stories of missionaries who removed children from their families and disciplined the people. In the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, four US soldiers defected to North Korea. Includes Environmental And Societal Disasters And Speculative Future Doomsday, Includes Space And Technology Of The Past, Includes USA, Canada, Europe, And Australia History Channels And Military Channel, Includes Discovery Science and Investigation Discovery Channels, Includes Channel 4, 5, UKTV, ITV, and Sky TV, Includes Animal Planet, TLC, A&E, ABC, CBS, NBC, Includes Countries Currently & Formerly In The Commonwealth, Includes Leaders In Industry, Society, Technology, Arts, And Politics, Includes Conflicts Involving Predecessor States, Includes 18th & 19th Century Indian Wars, Citizen Rebellions, War of 1812, Foreign Wars & Conflicts of the 19th 21st Century. It could simultaneously be a feature-length profile of one man, an investigation of how North Korea treated four prized defectors, and a snapshot of a feud between two men who have been through too much but tell us too little. Email me when people comment on this article, Online responses are no longer available. CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. ***This series and episode is under license from TVF. Request an update here. Throughout their 8-week placement in this remote Indigenous community, Amy and Paul move beyond their professional roles to make personal connections with some of the locals. Dresnok keeps talking about three other soldiers who defected after him, and their lives in North Korea. It is well known that North Korea would abduct citizens of other countries and force them to start families inside the country. Since 1993, No. Should he? It reminds us that there are still many stories to be told about North Korea, and that any life inside this Hermit Kingdom is not as self-contained as we might assume. East Courtyard, Throughout their eight-week placement in this remote See production, box office & company info, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. Moreover the movie launched, because it is a success. Dresnok is shown with fellow defectors, including Charles Robert Jenkins, who returned to Japan to be with his wife, Hitomi Soga (a victim of kidnapping by the North Koreans), while filming was taking place. While The Game of Their Lives and A State of Mind were sports documentaries, Crossing the Line narrates the tale of James Joseph Dresnok, an American soldier who defected to the North in 1962 while stationed at the Demilitarized Zone on the South Korean side. +86 10 6416 7544 We already have a niggling feeling that not everything Dresnok says is to be trustedwatch how he squirms and evades talking about the background of his first, supposedly Romanian wife inside North Koreabut the extent of how unreliable he is as a narrator is always up in the air. Certainly it must be born of Aboriginal culture. Unpacked 108K subscribers The UK version of the critically acclaimed documentary "Crossing The Line" - this powerful 30-minute film opens the door on anti-Israel activity at British. No one knows why they defected, until now. One supervisor cautions Paul against building up an expectation that youre going to make a change. He is a key part of the story but as much of it is now in the public domain, it is Dresnok who is the driving force of the film. General Rules on Crossing the Line a. Please refer to our, Statistics, epidemiology and research design, Statistics,epidemiology and research design, View this article on Wiley Online Library, Conditions She also found two young medical students prepared to participate in the film. This film looks back on the life of Dresnok in North Korea and his importance within that regime. However, these complaints are only worth raising because there is enough in the film that's riveting and memorable to make up for them. All rights reserved****Sometimes youve got to join them to beat them. A "Girl Power" Film. Until then I am hopeful the documentary continues to make a valuable educational contribution. To the filmmakers' credit, they don't shy away from this. Each man left his Southern border post in the demilitarised zone the DMZ, a 2.5 mile wide patch of land that splits the Korean peninsula in half and is the most heavily fortified area on earth, packed with 2.5m land minesand walked into an alien world. At the same time, for Aboriginal communities to cross the line puts their cultural identity at risk. At the height of the Cold War, this unlikely band of brothers crossed the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to DPRK. The plot is laid out in roughly fifteen-minute chunks: easy divisions to insert breaks for advertisements, I suspect. CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. None of the men had any idea what awaited them on the other side. (202) 332-0982 He has now lived for 44 years in Pyongyang, capital city of North Korea, one of the most deeply anti-American societies in the world. The regime had immense hopes for their mixed-race babies, such as training them to be spies. accepted. January 16, 2017. Crossing The Line. Two Aboriginal colleagues watched the video. Amy McCormack (medical student) and Louise Roughsey, Silhouette of youth on street (photo: Paul Joffe), Hector Thomas and Paul Joffe (medical student). - Sacha Molitorisz, TV Previews, The Sydney Morning Herald. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote indigenous community. They cannot avoid the experiences of the people served by the hospital. He then simply disappeared from the face of the known world. "IT MAKE FOR REMARKABLE, RIVETING VIEWING AND GIVES A RARE AND UNSENTIMENTAL INSIGHT INTO ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S REMOTE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. Undercover, a three part docume. Your Name (required) A tale of struggle and success, the beauty of sport crossing cultural barriers. WINNER! Released in 2008, Gordon's Crossing the Line addresses the same subject from a very different point of view: that of one James Joseph Dresnok, a U.S. Army private who, while stationed in the Demilitarized Zone that separates that country from its neighbor to the south in 1962, abruptly decided to defect. In this time, the story of their subject evolved beyond anything they would have had reason to imagine. James Dresnok: The Foreign Studies Institute. At one time, there were four Americans living in North Korea. 2021 Koryo Studio. All Rights Reserved. Dresnok grew up a poor orphan in Virginia, and never finished high school. Is this your listing? Dan Gordon (Director/Producer) Nicholas Bonner (Co-Producer). Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to li Read all'Crossing the Line' follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to li 'Crossing the Line' follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. These soldiers were married to women who were also of different nationalities, but how these women arrived in Pyongyang (or were made to arrive) is never clear. With Damion Cruzz, Bruce Cumings, James Joseph Dresnok, Charles Robert Jenkins. of publication, Information for librarians and institutions. The eccentricities associated with its leaders, the Kim dynasty, and the hardline communism they've forced upon the country also make audience immersion a fait accompli. These are tales from the criminal underworld as told by the people who lived it and living a lie among dangerous criminals is not for the faint-hearted!Undercover cops have provided material for countless movies and TV dramas, and their real stories are just as gripping. Change Focus Media Pty Ltd, 2005. BEST DOCUMENTARY - Social and Political Issues - 2005 ATOM Awards (Australian Teachers of Media). Please help us to simplify your shopping experience by customising your user settings here: Due to contractual obligations, some films may not be available in your territory. Crossing the Line, which was narrated by actor Christian Slater, was nominated for the Grand Jury . In addition, after that Crossing the Line. For instance. Crossing the Line: Directed by Daniel Gordon. Washington, DC 20036 VeryMuchSo Productions / The film centred on Dresnok's history, highlighting his unhappiness in America, and particularly his desertion from the United States Army in 1962 to the DPRK. We hear about Dresnok's deeply scarring time in the fifties after dropping out of high school, the shock he felt in the early sixties when new to Korean society, and his health problems after the turn of the century. subject to the Medical Journal of Australia's editorial discretion. It would address reculturation and the rejuvenation of Aboriginal identities. Crossing the line is a slight (sometimes great) shock to the audience, so only use it when this is your aim. will be notified by email within five working days should your response be Now, after 45 years, the story of Comrade Joe, the last American defector in North Korea, is told. Request an update here. Crossing the Line, which was narrated by actor Christian Slater, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the festival. 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