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www.groovekorea.com / November 2014 46 Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com) MuSIC & ARTS While Watch ed t h e y ‘“While They WaTched” is seT in The fuTure and Talks in hindsighT aBouT WhaT The dPrk Was, hoW iT acTed and WhaT PeoPle and The inTernaTional governing Bodies did aBouT iT.’ Jake smith documenTary exPlores The fuTure of norTh korea Interview by Corinne Eschenroeder / Photos courtesy of Jake Smith T he mystery of North Korea is unparalleled by any other country on Earth. Shrouded in extreme secrecy and careful propagan- da, North Korea’s regime churns on steadily, holding its citizens hostage. Although the country holds its citizens with an iron grip, occasionally defectors are able to escape. According to Jake Smith, a documentary film producer, “We need to do more than simply contemplate the curiosity that is North Korea. We need to act.” Smith credits his sister with sparking his interest in North Korea. A year ago she gave him the book “Nothing to Envy” (2009) by Barbara Demick, and immediately after finishing it, he began to research the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The book explores the ordinary lives of North Korean citizens through refugee accounts. “I wanted to know if it was still happening like the way it was described in the book or if things had changed,” said Smith. For the past few months, Smith has been working on “While They Watched,” his docu- mentary about North Korea. Through his research, Smith was shocked to discover how much information is readily available that exposes the abuses in the DPRK. Groove Korea spoke with Smith about his personal experiences during the stages of production, as well as his hopes for the future of the DPRK.