Beyond Utopia

2023 American documentary film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beyond Utopia

Beyond Utopia is a 2023 American documentary film directed by Madeleine Gavin. Debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary largely centers around Pastor Seungeun Kim, a South Korean human rights activist and director of the Caleb Mission, which has rescued over 1,000 North Korean defectors since 2000. The film also shows amateur footage from inside the DPRK as well as interviews Hyeonseo Lee and other defectors.

Quick Facts Directed by, Produced by ...
Beyond Utopia
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Theatrical release poster
Directed byMadeleine Gavin
Produced by
CinematographyKim Hyun-seok
Edited byMadeleine Gavin
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 21, 2023 (2023-1-21) (Sundance)
  • October 23, 2023 (2023-10-23) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Korean
Box office$52,859[2]
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Release

Beyond Utopia debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023.[3] The film was screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in the "Documentary Showcase" section on October 8, 2023.[4] In the United States Roadside Attractions and Fathom Events acquired distribution rights and released the film on a two-day screening on October 23 and October 24, 2023.[5] Independent Lens acquired broadcast television rights to the film, setting a January 9, 2024, broadcast.[6][7]

Reception

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Perspective

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 57 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "A documentary that feels like a thriller, Beyond Utopia is a gripping—and frightening—glimpse of life under oppression."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[9]

Writing for /Film, Ben Pearson gave the film a score of 9 out of 10 and found the handheld footage to be "nothing short of extraordinary."[10] Variety's Owen Gleiberman praised the film for showing audiences the "forgotten" tragedy of North Korea through its use of impressive first-hand camerawork.[11] In a more mixed review, Daniel Fienberg, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, found the film to have a tension-filled and emotional story while following the defecting families, but derided the inclusion of a "dry and lifeless" history lesson on North Korea that didn't fit alongside the compelling first-hand accounts.[12]

Accolades

More information Award, Date of ceremony ...
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival 29 January 2023 U.S. Documentary Competition: Grand Jury Prize Beyond Utopia Nominated [13]
U.S. Documentary Competition: Audience Award Won
Sydney Film Festival 18 June 2023 GIO Audience Award for Best International Documentary Won [14]
Jerusalem Film Festival 23 July 2023 In Spirit for Freedom Award Nominated [15]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 3 November 2023 Best Documentary Film Nominated [16]
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 12 November 2023 Best Documentary Feature Nominated [17]
Best Political Documentary Nominated
Best Director Madeleine Gavin Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
IndieWire Critics Poll 11 December 2023 Best Documentary Beyond Utopia 7th Place [18]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 12 December 2023 Best Documentary Film Nominated [19]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society 13 December 2023 Best Documentary Nominated [20]
St. Louis Film Critics Association 17 December 2023 Best Documentary Film Nominated [21]
Indiana Film Journalists Association 17 December 2023 Best Documentary Nominated [22]
[23]
North Texas Film Critics Association 18 December 2023 Best Documentary Film Nominated [24]
Women Film Critics Circle Awards 18 December 2023 Best Documentary by or About Women Nominated [25]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 3 January 2024 Best Documentary Nominated [26]
Georgia Film Critics Association Awards 5 January 2024 Best Documentary Film Runner-up [27]
[28]
Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards 6 January 2024 Best Documentary Feature Nominated [29]
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards 8 January 2024 Best Documentary Feature Nominated [30]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards 9 January 2024 Best Documentary Film Nominated [31]
Austin Film Critics Association Awards 10 January 2024 Best Documentary Nominated [32]
Cinema Eye Honors 12 January 2024 Audience Choice Prize Nominated [33]
Outstanding Production Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen and Sue Mi Terry Nominated
Denver Film Critics Society 12 January 2024 Best Documentary Feature Beyond Utopia Nominated [34]
Houston Film Critics Society 22 January 2024 Best Documentary Feature Nominated [35]
[36]
Directors Guild of America Awards 10 February 2024 Outstanding Directing – Documentary Madeleine Gavin Nominated [37]
Producers Guild of America Awards 25 February 2024 Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures Beyond Utopia Nominated [38]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 7–8 September 2024 Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking Lois Vossen, Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Sue Mi Terry, Madeleine Gavin Nominated [39]
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References

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