Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 81

A State of Mind
A State of Mind (94 minutes) The film dramatically conveys how an authoritarian regime has shaped
the minds of its people. The film provides images of Pyongyang and the way of life of its residents.
Interviews reveal that North Koreans were frightened by the U.S. War in Iraq and convinced that
our nation is an imperialist threat and our economic sanctions are the source of their hardships. The
film focuses on two delightful teenage girls who have been selected to train for the Mass Games and
whose lives revolve a daily routine to prepare for the Games in hopes that the Dear Leader will be
there to see them perform and know that they are good communists. The shots of the Mass Games
show 100,000 people participating in an elaborately choreographed exhibition of colorful and per-
fectly synchronized routines. It is difficult to forget these images. The documentary is recommended
highly for junior and senior high school.
is available by streaming on Netflix. To purchase a new or used DVD from Amazon
may cost approximately $130 or more. There are also numerous You Tube 10 minute segments of
important segments of the documentary.
A State of Mind
Questions for discussion and written responses to the film:
1. In what ways are the two girls very different from typical American girls their own age?
In what ways are they similar?
2. What do you learn about life in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea?
3. Compare the representation of North Korea in the U.S. media versus what you see in
the documentary.
4. Based on what you viewed in the film, would you consider North Korea more or less of a
threat than what you thought prior to watching it?
5. Explain how the Mass Games inculcate in each performer the ethos of the group over the
individual for the collective good?
6. Describe the beauty as well as the disturbing elements of the Mass Games.
7. What understanding do you have of communism, juche, and totalitarian rule as a result of
watching this film?
A perfect companion to viewing A State of Mind is to read “The Son,” by North Korean writer Kim
Pukhyang. The short story may be found in Modern Korean Fiction: An Anthology (edited by Bruce
Fulton). The story is perhaps surprising, given North Korea’s reputation as an “axis of evil” nation.
Kim portrays no gulags, nukes, famines, or idiosyncratic leaders, but rather love and hope among
three male characters--a son, a father, and a middle school teacher--who are to carry out the task of
glorifying Kim II Sung’s ideas of self-criticism and juche (self-reliance).
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