North Korea Holds Film Festival, Latest After 6 Years

Film roller (illustration. Freepic)

JAKARTA - North Korea held its first film festival after six years which took place in Pyeongyang, Korea. Arthouse-themed films are featured at this festival.

Quoting JoongAng Daily, the International Pyeongyang Film Festival which will be held for the 18th year will take place at Pyeongyang International Cinema House.

The opening ceremony for the film was held by showing the film Red Silk, an art film that is a production between Russia and China.

The head of the North Korean agency's cinema said this event was an opportunity to connect progressive countries with filmmakers in the world.

The Pyeongyang film festival was held for the first time in 1987 and is always held every two to three years before turning into an annual event in 2018. This event stopped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This festival is an important event to deepen relations and relations between countries and filmmakers, under independence, peace and friendship," said Ri Song Un as a committee of festival organizations.

Turism is North Korea's only revenue for foreign currency exchanges. As a result, various cultural events such as film festivals are to open the country to the international community.

Film festivals are not the only government's efforts to open its gates. Last April, North Korea held the Pyeongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years.