When I first met filmmaker Eiji Han Shimizu two years ago, it was at a screening for his 2012 film ¡°Happy,¡± an uplifting documentary that explores the roots of happiness around the world. After the credits rolled, he showed the audience a snippet of ¡°True North,¡± his animated feature inspired by the true stories of North Korean prison camp survivors.
I remember thinking, ¡°How did he go from exploring the source of happiness to depicting one of the darkest places in today¡¯s world?¡± Shimizu¡¯s film, which will have its Japan premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) on Nov. 1, follows the harrowing journey of 9-year-old Yo-han and his family, who are taken from their home and imprisoned after the father is accused of a political crime. At the prison camp, they struggle to survive in unimaginably harsh conditions.
The answer to my question lies in Shimizu¡¯s search for purpose.
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