Upwards of 300,000 North Koreans have escaped from their country and are in hiding, hoping to find their way to freedom. The Defector is about their story, as well as the Western humanitarian aid workers who form an international network, a modern underground railroad, to help these fugitives find freedom.

They’ve put well over a year’s research into The Defector, but the film is much more than reportage documentary. With a dramatic approach to story and a signature POV style, The Defector is an unparalleled intimate POV experience that follows 2 sides of the story: Western aid workers and North Korean defectors as their fates collide in the underground railway. There are high stakes for all involved and the emotions and tensions during the journey are dramatic. The production crew of The Defector will film undercover as we delve into why middle-class aid workers would risk their own lives to help North Koreans. The film and interactive website also takes you inside the life of a North Korean who is fleeing the only country, the only reality she has ever known. We gain new insight into what is happening in North Korea, and the new challenges faced by those who leave DPRK today. They also celebrate those who put their lives on the line, the unsung heroes of this modern humanitarian crisis.

The Defector is about this human crisis. It’s a film with a lot of heart, and it’s got guts.

Here’s a few more North Korean related videos: The Man From North Korea, North Korean Refugee Adoption Act, and Resilience.

The Defector: animation trailer

The Defector trailer