An important and extraordinary testament to human strength—a top class documentary. “Beyond Utopia” is a documentary that follows families as they attempt to escape oppression, revealing a world most of us have never seen. This one won the Audience Award for U. S. Documentary Competition. North Korea is a bizarre puppet state founded by Kim Il Sung and propped up by China and Russia. “Beyond Utopia” is not a journey into the “hermit kingdom” (as others documentaries have attempted) but a journey out, for those lucky enough to get the opportunity. As Pastor Kim—the film’s de facto hero—says, the hard part is not crossing the North Korea/China border, but navigating to safety from China, all the way to South Korea via Thailand. A fraught and treacherous journey indeed, one that is becoming more difficult all the time. Certainly an uncomfortable and intense watch but extremely gripping and informative. We highly recommend this film as it is definitely worth watching.