We invite submissions of full-length essays on the important but largely
understudied topic of “North Korean Culture and Cinema” for the September 2020
issue. The existing studies on North Korean cinema have mainly focused on the
ideological role of the cinema as a propaganda tool of the state. Given the
rapidly changing circumstances of North Korea under Kim Jong-un’s leadership
and his ongoing attempts to reform and open the regime, however, we seek to
illuminate North Korean cinema from a broader set of perspectives, including
thematic, formal and technical approaches to the topic as well as its
relationship with other artistic forms and emergent technologies.
This special
issue will feature articles from the following scholars, and we anticipate that
many other scholars will be interested in taking part in this important
unfolding scholarly debate.
Immanuel Kim (George Washington U): “Comedian Comedy: Faces of North
Korean Film Culture.”
Jeehye Kim (U of Arizona): “Feminizing the Other: North Korean Women in
Film.”
