A State of Mind

August. 10,2005      
Rating:
7.7
Trailer Synopsis Cast

Two young North Korean gymnasts prepare for an unprecedented competition in this documentary that offers a rare look into the communist society and the daily lives of North Korean families. For more than eight months, film crews follow 13-year-old Pak Hyon Sun and 11-year-old Kim Song Yun and their families as the girls train for the Mass Games, a spectacular nationalist celebration.

Kim Jong-il as  Himself (archive footage)

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