Paul Fischer (1)
Author of A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
For other authors named Paul Fischer, see the disambiguation page.
Works by Paul Fischer
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power (2015) — Author — 401 copies, 16 reviews
The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies (2022) 115 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (social science)
University of Southern California (film)
New York Film Academy (film) - Occupations
- film producer
- Agent
- Patrick Walsh (Conville & Walsh)
Carrie Plitt (Conville & Walsh)
Lutyens & Rubinstein - Short biography
- [from Simon & Schuster website]
Paul Fischer is an author and film producer based in the United Kingdom. His first book, A Kim Jong-Il Production has been translated into twelve languages. It was nominated for the Crime Writers' Association's Nonfiction Book Award. It was chosen as one of Library Journal's Top Ten Books of the Year and one of NPR's Best Books of the Year. It was also nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for History & Biography. Paul has also written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Independent, amongst others. In addition to writing, he works as a film producer and is an alumni of the Guiding Lights mentorship program. His first feature screenplay, The Body, based on a short film of his conception, was produced by Blumhouse and Hulu in 2018, starring Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair), Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project), Aurora Perrineau (Truth or Dare), David Hull (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and Ray Santiago (Ash vs. Evil Dead).
Members
Reviews
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer
North Korea is one of my reading obsessions, so I am very much the target audience for this book. And it did not disappoint. The story of how two of South Korea's most famous entertainers were kidnapped in order to invigorate North Korea's film industry is crazy and mesmerizing and tragic and, as best we can tell, pretty much true. (North Korea being what it is, it's nearly impossible to verify everything; but I am willing to give director Shin Sang-Ok and actress Choi Eun-Hee the benefit of show more the doubt.) show less
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer
According to filmmaker and North Korea-watcher Paul Fischer, the key to understanding Kim Jong-Il's capriciousness and cruelty is to realize that the dictator was really a frustrated movie producer at heart. The country he inherited from his father was his sound stage, and the people of North Korea were expendable bit players in the his ongoing private epic. That was why the lives of ordinary North Koreans seemed to count for so little during Kim Jong-Il's reign, and whole families were show more tortured and murdered seemingly on a whim.
Not only was Kim Jong-Il a wannabe movie maker, he was a film connoisseur as well. He amassed a huge private collection of foreign movies, including banned works from the United States and South Korea, and his most cherished dream was to turn his impoverished country into a major force in world cinema. To that end, he launched a harebrained scheme inspired by his favorite James Bond movies: he had his operatives kidnap South Korea's most successful filmmaker Shin Sang-Ok (who was in a career slump at the time) and his ex-wife, popular actress Choi Eun-Hee. Once he was convinced that their "re-education" was complete, the dictator installed Shin and Choi as the new leaders of North Korean cinema. During the early 1980's, the remarried couple smiled for the cameras and churned out propaganda pieces for the dictator as they secretly plotted their escape to the West.
Some observers do not believe Shin and Choi's story; rather, they suspect that the couple voluntarily defected to the Communist country in exchange for powerful positions in the North Korean film making industry. When the two grew tired of their obligations to Kim Jong-Il's regime, they recast themselves as kidnapping victims. Fischer, however, believes that Shin and Choi have told the truth about their ordeal.
A Kim Jung-Il Production has it all: a brilliant but flawed hero, a strong, compelling heroine, stunning reversals of fortune, daring escapes, religious conversions, car chases, and even the triumph of true love at the end. If it weren't for the very real suffering endured daily by the North Korean people due to the actions of their government (now under the control of Kim Jong-Il's equally sociopathic son Kim Jong-Un) I'd be tempted to end this review with a flippant statement such as: this book would make a great movie show less
Not only was Kim Jong-Il a wannabe movie maker, he was a film connoisseur as well. He amassed a huge private collection of foreign movies, including banned works from the United States and South Korea, and his most cherished dream was to turn his impoverished country into a major force in world cinema. To that end, he launched a harebrained scheme inspired by his favorite James Bond movies: he had his operatives kidnap South Korea's most successful filmmaker Shin Sang-Ok (who was in a career slump at the time) and his ex-wife, popular actress Choi Eun-Hee. Once he was convinced that their "re-education" was complete, the dictator installed Shin and Choi as the new leaders of North Korean cinema. During the early 1980's, the remarried couple smiled for the cameras and churned out propaganda pieces for the dictator as they secretly plotted their escape to the West.
Some observers do not believe Shin and Choi's story; rather, they suspect that the couple voluntarily defected to the Communist country in exchange for powerful positions in the North Korean film making industry. When the two grew tired of their obligations to Kim Jong-Il's regime, they recast themselves as kidnapping victims. Fischer, however, believes that Shin and Choi have told the truth about their ordeal.
A Kim Jung-Il Production has it all: a brilliant but flawed hero, a strong, compelling heroine, stunning reversals of fortune, daring escapes, religious conversions, car chases, and even the triumph of true love at the end. If it weren't for the very real suffering endured daily by the North Korean people due to the actions of their government (now under the control of Kim Jong-Il's equally sociopathic son Kim Jong-Un) I'd be tempted to end this review with a flippant statement such as: this book would make a great movie show less
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer
A Kim Jong-Il Production is remarkable on a number of levels, both in the information it imparts and as an artistic work of nonfiction. I've read a lot of books about North Korea but this is probably one of the best. It will easily make my year end best list.
Although about a kidnapping, Fischer devotes time to North Korea history, a biography of Kim Jong-il and how he came to create a kingdom based on fiction. Rather than a cardboard Hitler-like embodiment of pure evil, Kim Jong-il emerges show more as a real person. A distasteful one, but multifaceted. This is the book's real strength, to reveal Kim Jong-il (and North Korea) through passion for film, an approach that is both accurate and sharp.
Often the 'thrilling story' a book promises in the title is just a thin cover for a regular history. But in this case the title story is the majority of the narrative and really is, well "extraordinary". I had to keep reminding myself this was nonfiction. One might even think "well maybe it is", but Fischer provides convincing evidence at the end. Hopefully the book receives recognition - at the heart is a great love story and adventure. show less
Although about a kidnapping, Fischer devotes time to North Korea history, a biography of Kim Jong-il and how he came to create a kingdom based on fiction. Rather than a cardboard Hitler-like embodiment of pure evil, Kim Jong-il emerges show more as a real person. A distasteful one, but multifaceted. This is the book's real strength, to reveal Kim Jong-il (and North Korea) through passion for film, an approach that is both accurate and sharp.
Often the 'thrilling story' a book promises in the title is just a thin cover for a regular history. But in this case the title story is the majority of the narrative and really is, well "extraordinary". I had to keep reminding myself this was nonfiction. One might even think "well maybe it is", but Fischer provides convincing evidence at the end. Hopefully the book receives recognition - at the heart is a great love story and adventure. show less
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer
Joy's review: I would say that this book was really fun, but that seems totally the wrong adjective to apply to the horrible things that Kim Jung-Il visited upon his country, it's citizens, and the kidnapped Madam Choi and her ex-husband Shin Sang-Ok. A completely enthralling peak into the hermit kingdom, this is exactly the kind of thing people mean when they say "truth is stranger than fiction". Jung-Il wants to improve North Korea's film industry so he kidnaps an actress and a director; show more and that's only the beginning of the strangeness. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 3
- Members
- 517
- Popularity
- #48,025
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 18
- ISBNs
- 59
- Languages
- 10
