"Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story," Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim's first full-length documentary film, is released at an especially chilling time, as nearly two months ago, North Korea successfully tested nuclear weapons.
Though the film never really addresses North Korea's pursuit of nuclear arms, it does shed light on another equally important issue - the human rights violations committed by the nation.
Between the late 1970s and the early '80s, North Korean spies abducted at least 13 Japanese citizens. They took these prisoners back to North Korea in order to acquire knowledge about Japanese customs and culture in order to more easily blend into Japanese society.
Among those abducted was a 13-year-old girl named Megumi. She was walking home from school when a car pulled up to her. She was taken into the vehicle, then placed inside a ship and finally dropped off in North Korea.
Through their examination of Megumi's mysterious disappearance and her family's struggle to find her, Sheridan and Kim highlight the long-standing tensions between Japan and North Korea.
To many Americans, this conflict will appear surprising. Only in recent years has North Korea been severely lambasted in the media for its nuclear weapons programs. Equally criticized was the U.S. president for ignoring the potential danger. And now that North Korea clearly is a nuclear power, our president's foreign policy to-do list looks as though it's in the wrong order.
But that's America's image of North Korea. To the dictatorship's neighbors, North Korea's ominous shadow has been visible for some time now. Japan was not the only nation stricken with abduction cases. Other Eastern nations, especially South Korea, have reported kidnapping cases as well.
Sheridan and Kim deftly lead viewers through the story of Megumi's abduction, using their own interviews with her parents and the parents of other abducted Japanese and supplementing those interviews with archive news footage. Not only does the audience understand her parents' struggle to cope with the loss and continue fighting for Megumi's return, but they also witness how difficult it is for Japan to conduct foreign relations with North Korea.
One parent mentions that if the abductions had happened in America, they'd be going to war right now. Whether this is true or not, it is important to note that after World War II, Japan has not been allowed to form an offensive military force. All foreign matters must be dealt with through diplomacy, and no demand of theirs can be backed by military action.
Captured in this documentary are many revealing moments, some shocking and at least one humorous. Much of the shocking information is provided by a North Korean defector who used to work as a spy for Kim Jong Il. He tells Sheridan and Kim that he could easily blow up the hotel they are filming in, but only if he wanted to. Killing's easy, too, he says. The only hard part is having that act weigh on your conscience.
The single moment of hilarity comes after Megumi's mother meets with Senator Bill Frist. Wishing to bring the abduction issue to Americans' attention, she makes an appointment with the senator. Later she remarks how big Americans appear and how square their bottoms are. But even that moment isn't enough to truly lighten the mood.
In spite of its well-organized story, "Abduction" suffers greatly from issues concerning filming and editing techniques. It is understood that the quality of archive footage cannot be controlled. However, the footage by Sheridan and Kim looks as though it's been recorded to mini-DV tapes (the format used by most digital video cameras). Blown up on a movie theater screen, the grain is apparent.
Shots employ an excessive number of close-ups, the camera operation is particularly shaky at times, and too often audiences watch a B-roll of shifting ocean waves while interviewees narrate. Still, these technical issues should not dissuade anyone from seeing this film. The story captures the frightening possibility that what someone knows as a comfortable lifestyle one day can suddenly dissolve into an agonizing existence the next.
