“Heaven’s Border”, a documentary film concerning issues faced by North Korean defectors, was entered in the ‘Kiev UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival,’ in Ukraine. It is the first time that a Korean film has been accepted.

Through the Kiev UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, “Heaven’s Border” will be introduced to the world film stage, starting with East Europe. While the world is concentrated on North Korea amid its nuclear testing and ballistic missile development, it will be curious to see how local people will react to the film about the problems of North Korean Defectors.

On the 24th of March, Stalinismul, a member of the Kiev UA International Human Rights executive committee said “the international society needs to give attention on North Korean Human Rights issues. Not only as a film but as a Human Rights Association and to improve and to appeal about North Korean Human Rights issues, we have invited “Heaven’s Border.”

On the 27th of March, after the screening of “Heaven’s Border,” Pastor Chun, a human rights activist who also appears in the film with other North Korean defectors, will hold interviews with the audience.

One of “Heaven’s Border” producers revealed that, “once there was a drug dealer (broker) who crossed the Amnok river completely naked, asked us to contact him as he sells drugs and women, then returned to North Korea. Not only that, but we were also able to record a family who were forced to be separated as they became North Korean defectors.”

The Kiev UA International Human Rights Film Festival first started in 2003, and at last year’s Festival, Vitaly Mansky’s “Under the Sun” was invited and revealed North Korean Human Rights issues. This year, “Heaven’s Border” and another Norwegian documentary “Korean National Liberation Day” were nominated as finalists.

The Kiev UA International Human Rights Film Festival is co-managed by the Ukrainian and Finland Human Rights Association and run by contributions from the EU, Amnesty International, NED and other countries such as the US. It is known as the largest International Human Rights Film Festival.

Sportsdonga Lee, Hae Ri, gofl1024@donga.com