Honored as the Best First Feature in both Locarno International Film Festival and DocLisboa, Songs from the North is an original and intimate look at the enigma of North Korea. Bypassing and decoding the country’s jingoistic propaganda, as well as derisive satire from the West, Soon-Mi Yoo interweaves footage from three visits to North Korea with songs, spectacle, popular cinema and archival footage. Songs from the North strives to understand, on their own terms, the psychology and popular imagery of the North Korean people and the political ideology of absolute love. Born in South Korea, Yoo teaches at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and frequently shows her work internationally.