''Seoul Train'' is a 2004 documentary film that deals with the dangerous journeys of North Korean refugees as they escape through

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

to find refuge. These journeys are both dangerous and daring since, if caught, they face forced repatriation, torture, and possible execution. The North Koreans are aided by a loose band of activists who have formed an "underground railroad" of safe houses and escape routes to evade the authorities and North Korean agents. ''Seoul Train'' was broadcast on television in more than 22 countries around the world, including on the PBS series '' Independent Lens''. In January 2007, ''Seoul Train'' was awarded the Alfred I. duPont – Columbia University Silver Baton for excellence in broadcast journalism (broadcast equivalent of the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

). In April 2007, ''Seoul Train'' was named runner-up in the National Journalism Awards.
The film was produced, directed, and filmed by Jim Butterworth (entrepreneur), Jim Butterworth, a technology entrepreneur in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and Lisa Sleeth of Incite Productions. ''Seoul Train'' was co-directed and edited by Aaron Lubarsky, a documentary filmmaker in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Butterworth and Sleeth lived in a safe house on the China-North Korea border while shooting the film, and used that as a base to cross into

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

for part of the filming. On March 17, 2009, North Korean soldiers apprehended reporters Euna Lee and Laura Ling while filming a documentary for

Current TV Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a small ...

. Lee and Ling were apprehended as they attempted to retrace the footsteps of Butterworth and Sleeth. Lee wrote in her book ''The World Is Bigger Now: An American Journalist's Release from Captivity in North Korea ... A Remarkable Story of Faith, Family, and Forgiveness'' how ''Seoul Train'' had motivated her and how she jumped at the chance to do a similar story. North Korean authorities interrogated Lee and Ling about watching ''Seoul Train''.

Awards

* 2007 Alfred I. duPont – Columbia University Awards — Silver Baton for excellence in broadcast journalism. * 2007 National Journalism Awards — Runner-up, Jack R. Howard award for excellence in electronic media/TV-cable. * 2006 INPUT: International Public Television Screening Conference (Taipei, Taiwan) * 2005 ONE WORLD – Priština Film Festival (Priština, Kosovo) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Film. * 2005 Libertas – Dubrovnik Film Festival (

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

, Croatia) ** Winner, Audience Award for Best Film. ** Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary. * 2005 Crested Butte Reel Fest ( Crested Butte, Colorado) ** Winner, Audience Award for Best Film. ** Winner, Silver Award (Jury) for Best Documentary. * 2005 Brooklyn Film Festival (

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, NY) — Winner, Independent Spirit Award (Jury).https://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/film-detail?fid=541 * 2005 Jackson Hole Film Festival ( Jackson, Wyoming) — Winner, Best Global Insight Film (Jury). * 2005 Artivist Film Festival (

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, CA) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Human Rights Documentary * 2005 Texas Film Festival — Winner, Audience Award for Best Documentary. * 2005 Milan International Film Festival (

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, Italy) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Editing. * 2005 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival ( Missoula, Montana) — Finalist, Jury Award for Best Short Documentary * 2005 Boulder International Film Festival (

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...

) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary. * 2004 Ft. Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival (

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...

) — Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary.

References

External links

* *
''Seoul Train'' on Vimeo

PBS's ''Independent Lens'' website about ''Seoul Train''

Ironweed Films's article on ''Seoul Train''

''Wall Street Journal'' review on ''Seoul Train''

{{North Korean defectors 2004 films 2004 documentary films American documentary films American independent films Documentary films about China Documentary films about North Korea Documentary films about human rights Documentary films about refugees Biographical documentary films Documentary films about children Films set in China Films set in North Korea Films set in South Korea Films set in Seoul Films set in Poland 2000s Mandarin-language films 2000s Korean-language films Human rights in North Korea Films about North Korean defectors 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Works about the Korean diaspora in China Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award winners English-language documentary films

Awards

See also

References

External links