The film “Propaganda” purports to be a film smuggled out of North Korea. The narrator claims that she was approached, while on holiday in South Korea, by two alleged North Korean defectors, who presented her with a DVD originating from North Korea, asking her to translate it and upload it to the internet. The film features a surprisingly accurate analysis of contemporary western media and society. It features quotes from many well-respected intellectuals and manages to connect the dots in a very clear fashion. It does not falsify information or statistics or take any text, audio, or video material out of context. Unfortunately, the documentary lacks an analysis or discussion of the North Korean propaganda system.
This controversial documentary has sparked heated debates wherever it has surfaced online. The most prominent question raised in virtually all the debates is this: “If this is propaganda from North Korea, can it still be correct?” The question is confused. To dismiss a statement, text, or even documentary on the basis of its origin may seem intuitive to some, but it is nevertheless a logical fallacy. The veracity of this documentary, like all others, should be evaluated solely on the basis of its content, and not on the basis of any features of the people who made it or where on Earth they happen to come from.
The film below is well worth watching, but the views expressed in it are those of the filmmakers and do not necessarily represent the views of the authors of this blog.
Post Update (06.07.2013):
It turns out that this documentary was actually made by a New Zealand filmmaker, Slavko Martinov, and the summarized story above was a hoax designed to create media attention. You can watch an interview with Martinov on Russia Today here:
