What do we really know about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un? We can glimpse some flattering images from the propaganda he produced himself, and we might be aware of the malevolent legends that have sprung up around his identity in the West, but little is said about his upbringing and likely events. Hard facts surfaced that shaped his worldview. Kim Jong-un: Unauthorized biography tries to fill the gaps. It is a fascinating portrait that manages to demystify this important and enigmatic figure.
As the youngest son of former leader Kim Jong Il, he was educated in Switzerland. His classmates and teachers — some of whom are interviewed for the film — remember him as a very easy-going but sometimes rowdy student with a keen interest in basketball and video games.
He wasn’t ready to take over his father’s power. But after his father’s death in 2011, he found himself there, and his rise quickly propelled him onto the international scene. He is only 26 years old. His early actions were seen by many as a savage blow to tradition, when he executed his father’s closest advisers and fired more conservatives. He only recruits those who are unconditionally and unwaveringly loyal to him.
The film’s tone becomes increasingly sombre as it depicts him trying to upgrade his country’s military. He quickly doubled down on his father’s aspirations to become a nuclear power, ramping up the recruitment and training of North Korean soldiers and successfully conducting a series of destructive cyberattacks against his enemies.
Despite these extremes, many of the dictator’s countrymen still worship him as a god. Could this be the result of a brainwashed population picked up by a carefully constructed propaganda machine? U.S. Secret Service officials interviewed for the film seem to think so too.
Kim Jong-un: The Unauthorized Biography features candid interviews with people with first-hand knowledge and a wealth of footage that proves insightful where there is none of this dangerous part of the world.
Directed by: Anthony Dufour
