The stunningly beautiful feature film The Other Side of the Mountain premieres at the opening screening of the Spring 2014 New Jersey Film Festival on Friday, January 24.

The stunningly beautiful feature film The Other Side of the Mountain premieres at the opening screening of the Spring 2014 New Jersey Film Festival on Friday, January 24. The film was entirely shot in North Korea with a North Korean crew and cast. Here is an interview I did with the film’s producer and screenwriter Joon Bai:

Nigrin: Your film The Others Side of the Mountain focuses on a young nurse in a small town in North Korea saves a wounded South Korean soldier abandoned by his platoon during the Korean War. Tell us a bit about your film and why you decided to make it.

Bai: I decided to make this film because it is based on a true story and a crucial event in our history. There is a great need for more stories about the Korean divide as they are still currently separated and too many families and loved ones suffer from not being able to see each other. It is one of the greatest tragedies in the world and I needed to share the story in hopes for reunification.

Nigrin: The cinematography is really a perfect match to the subject matter. Tell us why you decided to shoot the film this way?

Bai: We shot on 35mm film because that's the only format the DPRK still shoots on. They haven't made the transition to digital yet. For the film, we had to bring in additional equipment and Arri cameras that were more advanced so it would add production value. We wanted it to be a classic period piece and there were many limitations with the existing equipment, mostly because they were so old and sparse. The cinematographer and director did a great job to capture what the themes in its visuals. 

Nigrin:  The actors in your film are pretty amazing. Tell us more about them and how they were assembled.

Bai: The casting process was exciting. All the top actors of the country were specially handpicked and auditioned for the film and the producer and director picked the leads. These actors are extraordinarily special and possess a different quality than what we are used to seeing. The two main actors who are lovers in the film also fell in love during the making of the film and since got married and had children!

Nigrin: Where did you shoot your film?

Bai: The entire film was shot on location in North Korea in the mountains and rural villages. 

Here is a link to the The Other Side of the Mountain trailer: http://vimeo.com/51497206

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another terrific film AKT 2 will be screened prior to The Other Side of the Mountain.  Here is more info on this program:

AKT 2 - Robert Fritz (Newfane, Vermont)
In this lovely short film shot in Sweden two people meet by accident after years apart and reveal secrets they hid from each other in the past. The meeting leads to moments of truth in each of their lives, and illusions are shattered, the past is explained, and their lives are changed. Starring Kirsti Torhaug and Michel Riddez in a tour-de-force duet performance. In Swedish, subtitled. 2013; 35 min.

The Other Side of the Mountain - In Hak Jang (Pyongyang, North Korea) The first U.S./North Korea coproduction ever, this film is a dazzling, epic melodrama depicting the relationship between a South Korean man and a North Korean woman separated by political conflict. During the Korean War, a young nurse in a small town in North Korea saves a wounded Southern soldier abandoned by his platoon. Forced to hide his identity, the two gradually form a furtive attachment until he is forced to return to his home in South Korea. Featuring opulent set design and punctuated with glorious musical numbers, this is a startlingly original feature debut from director In Hak Jang and writer/producer Joon Bai. In Korean, subtitled. 2012; 102 min.

Friday, January 24, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University,
71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey
$10=General; $9=Students+Seniors; $8=Rutgers Film Co-op Friends
Information: (848) 932-8482; www.njfilmfest.com

Jimmy Johns of New Brunswick will be providing free food prior to this screening!