북한 기록영화의 통사(通史)적 접근: 정치·사회적 맥락을 중심으로

Abstract

From a historical perspective, this paper explores the role and function that North Korean documentary films plays in accordance with the political and social contexts of North Korea. In addition, it focuses on the fact that the organization and formation of North Korea’s documentary film studio changed over time in accordance with the ruling party’s demands and also presents the periodical changes of the production organization. To this end, this paper divides the history of North Korean documentary films into periods and then examines the historical development process through an analysis of North Korean literature. As a result, the history of North Korean documentary films has largely been classified into four stages and the characteristics of the historical development process are investigated. Firstly, there were changes to subject and form in accordance with immediate political demand. In particular, film literature that showcased the supreme leader’s on-site leadership met the demands of the time by forming a new, unique, genre of North Korean documentary films where the producer’s constantly endeavor to improve the public’s perception of the leader. Secondly, the documentary film studio underwent many changes in accordance with the times. In other words, in every applicable period it has played a function and role, which was advantageous for creating productions in accordance with the party’s political demands. This paper is significant because it provides basic data for understanding the changes in North Korean documentary films by identifying the political and social implications of the films through the historical survey. However, a more in-depth follow-up study that conducts specific text analyses on each period based on the factors outlined above is also required.