When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. 

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We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead!

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Acast Creative Studios
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING

A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul Fisher
The Observant, by Ravi Mangla
Michelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto
"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State Department
Big Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart Original Podcast]
"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together" [Mental Floss Magazine]
The Korean War [PBS]

When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape.&nbsp;
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We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us &mdash; <a href="mailto:veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com">veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com</a> &mdash; and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead!
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at <a href="https://wondermedianetwork.com">Acast Creative Studios</a> Produced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English
SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING
<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250054272/akimjongilproduction/">A Kim Jong-Il Production</a>, by Paul Fisher <a href="https://www.ampersandbooks.org/book/9781956005585">The Observant</a>, by Ravi Mangla <a href="https://www.eas.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/michelle-cho">Michelle Cho</a>, assistant professor, University of Toronto <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/are-you-there-godzilla-its-me-kim-jong-il/id1608230191?i=1000598436509&amp;l=fi">"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il"</a> [Ridiculous Crime podcast] <a href="https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41646.htm">Country Reports on Human Rights Practices</a>, U.S. State Department <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-brother-north-koreas-forgotten-prince/id1606009390">Big Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince</a> [An iHeart Original Podcast] <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/29529/kim-jong-il-director-he-kidnapped-and-awful-godzilla-film-they-made-together">"Kim Jong Il, the Director he Kidnapped, and the Awful Godzilla Film They Made Together"</a> [Mental Floss Magazine] <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bomb-korean-war/">The Korean War</a> [PBS]

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Very Special Episodes

North by North Korea [Re-Release]

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/17d8148d-c46b-4a53-a6e2-b490016fb482/transcript