Beyond Utopia

Premiered January 09, 2024

Directed by Madeleine Gavin

The gripping story of families who risk everything escaping North Korea.

About the Documentary

They grew up believing their land was paradise. Now, they risk everything in escaping it. In an unforgettable documentary, follow families on a treacherous journey to defect from their homeland of North Korea, as the threat of severe punishment and possible execution looms over their passage, revealing a world many have never seen.

Update: Read about recent developments regarding a production member since the filming stopped.

The Filmmakers

Madeleine Gavin

Madeleine Gavin has edited award-winning narrative and documentary films that have premiered at Sundance, Toronto, Berlinale, and Cannes, among others. Madeleine directed and edited the Netflix Original Documentary, City of Joy, and she is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Jana Edelbaum

Emmy Award-winning producer Jana Edelbaum founded the production company Ideal Partners. Her productions include House of Z, Waiting for Hockney, Strange Weather, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, and Idina Menzel: Which Way To The Stage. Current projects include Kim Snyder’s The Librarians and Barry Jenkin’s biopic about Alvin Ailey.

Rachel Cohen

Rachel Cohen is a film producer and head of production at Ideal Partners. Projects include Kim Snyder’s The Librarians and Barry Jenkin’s biopic about Alvin Ailey. Prior to Ideal, Rachel was SVP of development and production at Tribeca Productions, and spent seven years at Artisan Entertainment as SVP of development and acquisitions.

Sue Mi Terry

Dr. Sue Mi Terry is a leading expert on the Korean Peninsula and East Asia. She served as a senior analyst at the CIA, director of Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and National Intelligence Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

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Awards

Woodstock Film Festival

Leon Gast Award For Best Feature Documentary

Learn More About the Documentary

Illustration of a transparent red star laid over a military camp. Three adults and two children are shown fleeing atop the red star.

Update: Recent Developments Regarding Beyond Utopia Production Member

The Roh family trek through the jungle at night.

Beyond the Films