Documentary in which renowned French filmmaker Claude Lanzmann (Shoah), now 91, revisits a haunting North Korean encounter.
"In 1958, Lanzmann joined...
Documentary in which renowned French filmmaker Claude Lanzmann (Shoah), now 91, revisits a haunting North Korean encounter.
"In 1958, Lanzmann joined a western delegation to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea. As he explains, he always had a certain sympathy for communism. Almost 60 years later and Lanzmann is waiting for a visa so he can return once more to the world's most unfathomable country. On arrival, he's taken on a tour of military memorabilia and visits the formidable statues of Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung and his son, current leader Kim Jong-il. All the while, the wily nonagenarian hints at a deeper reason behind his fascination with this divisive nation. The revelation, when it slowly emerges, is unexpectedly sensual and tender. It speaks of a great divide, both in place and time that has never, and will never, diminish." (Sydney Film Festival)
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71 %7 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
"[A] flawed, self-indulgent but still fascinating effort..."
The Guardian"Napalm feels like a missed opportunity to get much deeper under the skin of a nation that Lanzmann clearly knows better than most observers, and for whose citizens he feels more compassion and understanding than they are often granted."
Screen Daily"A unique look at a place and people who we have mostly known through news reports or government propaganda, but rarely in movies through such a human point of view."
Hollywood ReporterNapalm | Details
- Runtime
- 100
- Genre
- Documentary
- Country of origin
- France
