Extremely moving yet unsentimental, this film offers a rare insight into the practical realities of providing Western medical services to Indigenous communities and illustrates ways in which engagement can contribute to an improvement in the crisis in Aboriginal health today. While The Game of Their Lives and A State of Mind were sports documentaries, Crossing the Line narrates the tale of James Joseph Dresnok, an American soldier who defected to the North in 1962 while stationed at the . Add to that the truly unique saga of Dresnok and you have a potent cocktail. These are tales from the criminal underworld as told by the people who lived it and living a lie among dangerous criminals is not for the faint-hearted!Undercover cops have provided material for countless movies and TV dramas, and their real stories are just as gripping. 27 Bei San Li Tun Nan It's very gratifying to know that the film encourages discussion and debate about such complex issues, makes me feel like I've done my job! Each man left his Southern border post in the demilitarised zone the DMZ, a 2.5 mile wide patch of land that splits the Korean peninsula in half and is the most heavily fortified area on earth, packed with 2.5m land minesand walked into an alien world. . (Robert Boynton wrote about this horrific scheme for the New Yorker.). Over a fifteen-month window, the filmmakers made multiple trips to North Korea for shooting. Shortly this will also incorporate project-specific market and festival support provided by Screen Australia since its inception in July 2008. Similarly. All Rights Reserved. At the height of the Cold War, this unlikely band of brothers crossed the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to DPRK. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote indigenous community. Can testimony from these cops hold up in court? He has now lived for 44 years in Pyongyang, capital city of North Korea, one of the most deeply anti-American societies in the world. In 1962, a U.S. soldier sent to guard the peace in South Korea deserted his unit, walked across the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to the Cold War enemy, the communist state of North Korea. BEST DOCUMENTARY - Social and Political Issues - 2005 ATOM Awards (Australian Teachers of Media). Released in 2008, Gordon's Crossing the Line addresses the same subject from a very different point of view: that of one James Joseph Dresnok, a U.S. Army private who, while stationed in the Demilitarized Zone that separates that country from its neighbor to the south in 1962, abruptly decided to defect. Crossing the Line (Korean: , A Blue-Eyed Pyongyang Citizen in North Korea) is a 2006 British documentary film by Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner. John Battsek, Richard Klein & Paul Yi, Formerly known as Pyongyang Art Studio, Koryo Studio is the first Western art gallery to commission and sell work by artists of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea. Towards the end of Crossing the Line, a North Korean doctor discloses to the BBC that Dresnok is in failing health, mainly due to heavy drinking and smoking. Documentary. You James Dresnok: Oh, don't even talk about it. Subject A State of Mind was selected for competition at Tribeca Film Festival and officially selected to Pusan International Film Festival, Sheffield International Documentary Festival and to International Documentary Festival Amsterdam. For some people around the country, January 26 or Australia Day is an opportunity to have a day off of work, hit up the beach, or a friend's BBQ and drink to excess. CROSSING THE LINE is the third feature length documentary by VeryMuchSo Productions, the team that produced the RTS award-winning the game of their lives (four awards in total plus two Grierson nominations, one British Independent Film Awards nomination) and the acclaimed a state of mind (broadcast UK June 7th 2004 and chosen as Pick of the Day in every broadsheet) the story of two North Korean gymnasts as they prepare a Mass Games celebration. Crossing The Line documentary: The story of Australia v South Africa and the ball-tampering scandal Watch the show at 10pm, Thursday on Sky Sports Cricket, with contributions from Shane. Dresnok spoke exclusively to the filmmakers about his childhood, his desertion, his life in a country completely foreign and quite hostile to his own, his fellow defectors, and his wife and children.[1]. Dresnok grew up a poor orphan in Virginia, and never finished high school. A British documentary about US Army defector James Dresnok currently living in North Korea after having defected during the 60s. The director and cinematographer, Kaye Harrison, approached me with the idea of following two non-indigenous medical students on a work placement to the remote community of Mornington island, where they would meet Aboriginal people for the first time and experience some of the complexities of Indigenous health issues. Kaye Harrison wrote, directed and co-produced the video for ABC-TV, which screened it earlier this year in two parts on the Indigenous program Message stick. Secondly. Brought to you by the team behind the #1 true-crime podcast franchise Paper Ghosts, Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps is an ongoing, weekly podcast diving deeply into murder, missing people and unsolved, cold case cases rarely covered. Email me when people comment on this article, Online responses are no longer available. In Episode Two, Crossing the Line, undercover agents take on the gangs in the 1980s and the programme hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons.A shocking series which goes behind the headlines to find out what it is really like to work as an undercover agent. In conclusion. After arriving at the Mornington Island Community Hospital, life expands for the two students. North Korea, 2016. 1h 34m. His local Aboriginal mentor explains how her son shot himself and how important she considers early intervention to be. In 1962 a U.S. solider sent to guard the peace in South Korea undertook an extraordinary journey, at the height of the Cold War he deserted his unit and walked across the most heavily fortified area on Earth and defected to an alien communist state, North Korea. Amy McCormack (medical student) and Louise Roughsey, Silhouette of youth on street (photo: Paul Joffe), Hector Thomas and Paul Joffe (medical student). From the director of A STATE OF MIND. It would address reculturation and the rejuvenation of Aboriginal identities. By what name was Crossing the Line (2006) officially released in Canada in English? No one knows why they defected, until now. A "Girl Power" Film. It was directed and produced by British filmmakers Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner, and was shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Our most ambitious documentary and the most amazing of stories if this was fiction it would be unbelievable: In the 1960's, four US soldiers serving in the Korean Demilitarised Zone embarked on an extraordinary journey. "Crossing the Line" tells of four American servicemen who defected to North Korea, with an . No-one knew why they did it. See production, box office & company info, Solid documentary that is interesting despite the limited appeal of the material. She also found two young medical students prepared to participate in the film. His story broke open in September 2002 when it was reported that one of the kidnapped Japanese nationals, Hitomi Soga, had married an American defector. Given the emphasis on social capital, mutuality and reciprocity in Aboriginal culture, building on that may be the way forward. We believe that educating students of all disciplines relevant to Aboriginal people is part of our obligation to improve the way we respond to and interact with Aboriginal people in the future. This was justified not just because these peeks could be accommodated in the plot, but also because outside audiences had genuinely never seen life depicted that way in, arguably, the world's most isolated country. CROSSING THE LINE follows the journeys of two young medical students, Amy and Paul, who leave their safe middle class homes and university behind to be thrust into the harsh reality of everyday life on Mornington Island. My motivation for making the documentary CROSSING THE LINE was a desire to make the issues surrounding Indigenous health accessible to a broad mainstream audience. The film elicits a wide range of responses about the thorny issues of 'crossing the line' in a medical professional sense. They despaired at the offensive lack of attention given to the communitys wishes and at what they perceived to be an element of voyeurism in the placements themselves. The folk of Mornington Island demonstrate a warm-hearted resilience in the face of their history, but to Amy it is appalling. Unpacked 108K subscribers The UK version of the critically acclaimed documentary "Crossing The Line" - this powerful 30-minute film opens the door on anti-Israel activity at British. Until then, however, we have Gordon's engaging if overwrought effort to tide us over. He is one of only six American soldiers ever to have voluntarily turned themselves over to the Communist regime after the Korean War, and, today, the last one remaining inside. Better ways than those shown in this video would combine the wisdom of the elders with the idealistic energies of youth. He is further criticised for interviewing community members without a health professional being present to supervise him and without ethical clearance. Crossing the Line 2004 Documentary | 56mins | Completed When two young non-Indigenous medical students go to work in a remote Aboriginal community their professional precepts and personal ideas are deeply challenged. None of the men had any idea what awaited them on the other side. Project-specific support provided through Screen Australia's P&A Program only. Crossing the line is a 1-hour video that charts the paths of two Tasmanian medical students, Amy and Paul, during an 8-week placement on Mornington Island in north-west Queensland. A British documentary about US Army defector James Dresnok currently living in North Korea after having defected during the 60s. Moreover the movie launched, because it is a success. The film is about a former U.S. Army soldier, James J. Dresnok, who defected to North Korea on 15 August 1962. In this time, the story of their subject evolved beyond anything they would have had reason to imagine. Like most Australians, they have never been exposed to life in a remote Indigenous community. Distinctive storytelling for the big screen, Ambition, creativity, audience engagement, Quality, cultural value, innovation, diversity, Opportunities for First Nations storytellers, Insights into challenges facing the industry, International awards for Australian projects and people, Australian screenings at international festivals, International Pitching Events and Talent Labs, International Marketing Support: Festivals and awards, All Screen Australia production applications, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Now, after 45 years, the story of Comrade Joe, the last American defector in North Korea, is told. Beijing, China Until then I am hopeful the documentary continues to make a valuable educational contribution. The show features candid interviews with former agents and their operators, as well as dramatic stylisations of key events. It was directed and produced by British filmmakers Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner, and was shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. They cannot avoid the experiences of the people served by the hospital. One of four American defectors who crossed over to the hard line communist North during the 1960s, Dresnok has lived in the North Korean capital Pyongyang ever since, and has not been seen by the outside world for 44 years. This is the story of the last American defector in North Korea, James Joseph Dresnok. Beyond straight-up murder stories, investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps . Crossing the line is a slight (sometimes great) shock to the audience, so only use it when this is your aim. Certainly it must be born of Aboriginal culture. Read more Directors Kaye Harrison, Rod Freedman Supplier Ronin Films Jenkins now lives in Japan with his wife and daughters. Screen Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country. I don't know. Bridging the Gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy remains a key issue across Australia. DON'T MISS IT." Without seeming to consult the community, Paul and Amys supervisors in Mt Isa pull them out for debriefing a week early almost before they can say goodbye to the people they have come to know and begun to love because they have become too involved. January 16, 2017. +86 10 6416 7544 ***This series and episode is under license from TVF. Since at least the 1930s, Indigenous . 2021 Koryo Studio. Throughout their eight-week placement in this remote See production, box office & company info, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The first Western interview with Comrade Joe, James Joseph Dresnok, an American soldier who defected to North Korea in 1962 and has embraced life in the secret state ever since. Dresnok seemed hurt by Jenkins' allegations of physical abuse by Dresnok and the North Korean regime and angrily denied them. Third party web links are provided for your convenience only. When two young non-Indigenous medical students go to work in a remote Aboriginal community their professional precepts and personal ideas are deeply challenged. In addition, after that Crossing the Line. We hear about Dresnok's deeply scarring time in the fifties after dropping out of high school, the shock he felt in the early sixties when new to Korean society, and his health problems after the turn of the century. Two Aboriginal colleagues watched the video. To the filmmakers' credit, they don't shy away from this. Crossing the Line 2006, Documentary, 1h 31m 90% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 85% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings What to know critics consensus An engrossing look at the aftermath of largely forgotten. No-one knew why they did it. The regime had immense hopes for their mixed-race babies, such as training them to be spies. The highest compliment I can pay Crossing the Line is that it serves as a vital journal of an important time in recent North Korean affairsand that the production of this documentary would make for a highly intriguing feature film one day. For your convenience only to that the truly unique saga of Dresnok and you have a potent cocktail the... Deeply challenged & company info, Australian Broadcasting Corporation ( ABC ) ) officially released in Canada in?! The Gap in Aboriginal culture, building on that may be the way forward the experiences of the last defector... 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