If you want to get your mind off the oil and gas industry operating in your backyard, then you might be looking for a good movie. I’d suggest A State of Mind, available on Netflix instantly. It’s about the humans being in North Korea, and focuses on the Mass Games, which are like the Opening Ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics– but better.
My rough count is that it takes well over 100,000 humans to pull off the “largest choreographed spectacle in the world” known as the Mass Games. A State of Mind is a documentary that focuses on two young gymnasts while giving an unprecedented look at everyday life in North Korea. There are 4,000,000 humans that watch the Mass Games live– but you’ve probably never heard of it.
The most impressive thing about the movie is that it leaves you with a new understanding of communism and new questions about whether it could ever really work. The first 20 minutes or so dazzles you, much like a circus. The rest of the movie challenges your preconceptions.
As you watch this movie, you begin to realize that there’s a big difference between “the country of North Korea” and the millions of individuals who live there. We only think about the government, per se. What if they did the same thing?
As a matter of fact, they do. North Koreans, in the movie, refer to us as the American Imperialists. They view us as a nation fascinated with trying to rule other nations. Part of me wonders if they are very far off the mark. While there’s no doubt that the North Korean government is seen as hostile, even the smartest dog can overlook asking the fundamental question of Why?
When you watch this movie, you are confronted with contradictions and questions: (1) It is a beautiful portrayal of individual sacrifice for the common good and (2) We have yet to see if it is possible to truly implement utopia. The reason communism is ideologically appealing is obvious: Wouldn’t it be nice if we each loved our neighbor as ourself?
But what about #2? Does communism work? Why can’t we all just get along?
ada.mae.compton 