Photography Photoessays & Documentaries
Red Star Utopia
Inside North Korea
- Publisher
- Durvile Publications
- Initial publish date
- Oct 2018
- Category
- Photoessays & Documentaries
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781988824239
- Publish Date
- Oct 2018
- List Price
- $49.95
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Description
In Red Star Utopia: Inside North Korea, Austin Andrews uncovers visual clues about the country’s hardline isolationist experiment and how it affects the rhythms and routines of its people. Photos in the book include remote parts of the country, seldom if ever visited by foreigners.
About the authors
Contributor Notes
About Austin Andrews. Author of the acclaimed photography book Shadow Hymns, Canadian photographer and filmmaker Austin Andrews has also profiled stories on six continents for TIME, Foreign Policy, Maclean’s, and Intersection, and in the online edition of National Geographic. As a film director and editor, Austin’s films have screened at many international festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, and Hot Docs.
About Simon Cockerell. Based in Beijing, Simon Cockerell has made over 170 trips to the DPRK and has worked on a vast range of film, book, photography, humanitarian, and school exchange projects. His company, Koryo Tours, promotes interaction between North Koreans and people from the outside world as a way of counteracting official narratives inside North Korea of what foreigners are like, as well as how the 25 million people of North Korea are perceived in the rest of the world.
Excerpt: Red Star Utopia: Inside North Korea (by (author) Austin Andrews; foreword by Simon Cockerell)
From Foreword. Ever since the first of my many professional and personal visits to North Korea, I’m sure I have not passed a single day without observing photos of the country — photos online, photos taken by me, photos on Instagram, in the media, in books and magazines, websites and on blogs. In the work of Austin Andrews though, I find something new, something unique, and something incredibly exciting. In his photographs we are shown real life contrasts. We see North Korea’s rural population living unenviable existences in very difficult situations contrasted with the lives of some people of Pyongyang enjoying activities and opportunities afforded to the capital’s residents. The photos prove that while North Koreans are often thought of as a lumpen ‘they’, the reality is that there is a range of life experiences lived across the land. Many of these experiences are sad, dark, and not one you would wish to share, while others are optimistic, passionate, and aspirational. … Overall, Austin has expressed a remarkable variety within North Korea — his pictures taking you into the cities, out through the country, to some expected sites but many unexpected ones too. His photos show massive political monuments, simple rustic villages, people having fun, people looking troubled, people getting on with life, people taking a moment …. Whether you have been there or not, intend to go there or not, or simply are not sure, this book will provide you with some amazing insight from a truly talented and remarkable artist. For more than 6,000 days now I have seen North Korea photos daily, but Austin Andrews’ photos speak to me about the country that I know myself. So immerse yourself in this work and I hope you get as much enjoyment from them as I have. — Simon Cockerell
Editorial Reviews
“Visitors to this isolated country who are willing to look may come across some surprising sights, as Austin Andrews discovered, that don’t fit the prevailing narratives of the country.” Globe and Mail
“There is power in the everyday scenes that often speak about reality, hardships, and the inspiring reliance of the people Andrews shoots.” Calgary Herald
"Photographer Austin Andrews' new book is an intimate look at the humanity of North Korea beyond the massive military parades." Michael Higgins, CTV
