Screening and Discussion

In the 1960s, four U.S. soldiers serving in the Korean Demilitarized Zone crossed the most heavily fortified border on earth and defected to Communist North Korea. Trapped in the most secretive country on earth, their life was hidden from the outside world for 40 years. Not even the U.S. government knew their fate. James Joseph Dresnok, one of these four American defectors, is the only one who remains in North Korea today.

The Korea Society has organized an eight-campus screening tour of Crossing the Line, a new documentary film that tells his story, from October 27 through November 12, 2008. The program includes a post-screening discussion led by the documentary's co-producer Nicholas Bonner who will talk about Dresnok, North Korea and the experience of filming a documentary in one of the least media-friendly environments in the world. The filmmakers of Crossing the Line were allowed unprecedented access by the North Korean authorities to the subject of their documentary. They were permitted not only to interview Dresnok extensively but also to follow him through his daily life in Pyongyang. Their film, narrated by actor Christian Slater, presents a story that the New York Daily News has called “fascinating” and “unforgettable.”

Join The Korea Society on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 for a screening of this unique documentary, followed by a conversation with co-producer Nicholas Bonner, or check the schedule below for a screening near you.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

with

Nicholas Bonner
Producer, Crossing the Line

About the Speaker
Nicholas Bonner is the director of Koryo Tours, which has specialized in travel to and cultural exchanges with the DPRK since 1993. Working in conjunction with VeryMuchSo Productions, Bonner has produced three documentaries inside North Korea: The Game of Their Lives (2001), A State of Mind (2005) and Crossing the Line (2007). He is currently developing a romantic comedy feature film to be shot in Pyongyang in 2009. Also a collector of North Korean art, pieces from Bonner's collection of woodcut prints is currently on display in North Korean Images at Utopia's Edge at The Korea Society Gallery.

Schedule:

Monday, October 27, 2008–6:15 PM
Harvard University
CGIS South Building (Tsai Auditorium)
1730 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Contact #: (617) 496-2141

Tuesday, October 28, 2008–6:30 PM
The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue, Eighth Floor
New York, NY
Contact #: (212) 759-7525, ext. 355

Wednesday, October 29, 2008–5:30 PM
Johns Hopkins University
Kenney Auditorium in the Nitze Building
1619 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
Contact #: (202) 663-5830

Thursday, October 30, 2008–6:30 PM
Ohio State University  (poster pdf)
University Hall 0014
230 North Oval Mall
Columbus, OH
Contact #: (614) 688-4253 

Monday, November 3, 2008–6:30 PM
University of Missouri, Columbia
100 Stewart Hall
Columbia, MO
Contact #: (573) 882-6902

Monday, November 3, 2008–7:00 PM
University of Kansas
Alderson Auditorium
Lawrence, KS
Contact #: 785-864-3849

Tuesday, November 4, 2008–4:00 PM
University of Kansas (poster pdf)
English Room, Kansas Union
Lawrence, KS
Contact #: (785) 864-3849

Wednesday, November 5, 2008–7:30 PM
University of Notre Dame (poster pdf)
Eck Visitors Center Auditorium
100 Eck Center
Notre Dame, IN
Contact #: (574) 631-8873

Saturday, November 8, 2008–5:00 PM
Nestrick Room (Dwinelle 142)
UC Berkeley
San Francisco, CA
Contact #: (510) 642-5674

Monday, November 10, 2008–4:00 PM
University of California at Los Angeles
314 Royce Hall
UCLA Campus
Los Angeles, CA
Contact #: (310) 825-3284

Wednesday, November 12, 2008–6:15 PM
University of California at Santa Barbara
McCune Conference Center (HSSB 6020)
UCSB Campus
Santa Barbara, CA
Contact #: (805) 893-3907

950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor