Mitch Moxley took a trip to the North Korean Film Festival; reporting for GQ, he riffs on how the event was a script in itself:
Afterward, outside in the afternoon sun, Hong politely poses for photos with a few fans. When I ask through Miss P whether the actress still makes movies, Hong laughs quietly and says no, she’s just an “old lady.” Then she leaves, and that’s that. This is celebrity in North Korea.
On the bus, I make the mistake of asking Mr. O if he thought the movie was boring. He answers gravely, “No.” I immediately regret asking the question and tell him I found it interesting, though there was too much crying.
He nods. “A green nation cannot be happy.”
“Green?”
“Greeeive.”
“Grieving?”
“Yes. Cannot be happy.”
