For the Roh family, the path out of North Korea lies through cold river water, thick underbrush and an underground network of supporters. Fleeing the country is just the first step, followed by a grueling trek into Thailand through China, Vietnam and Laos.
It may be shaky at times, but the footage in “Beyond Utopia” is real. “This film contains no re-creations,” the opening sequence says.
“I put that disclaimer at the top of the film because when I was first getting footage out of China of the Roh family, a friend of mine said to me, ‘Oh my God, those re-creations are incredible.’ And I realized that everyone’s going to assume,” says director Madeleine Gavin.
