Local product excited to share story of hockey in North Korea

Francis, who grew up in Grande Prairie, has been working in the film and television industry in the Vancouver area for several years now. The idea to make a film like this, he says, came up rather casually a few years ago.

“The idea just came about, you know, three friends sitting in a bar. One of them had actually travelled to North Korea quite frequently and just had this idea and said ‘hey, we should do a documentary on the men’s national hockey team.”

“No one ever really thought it was going to have legs. Low and behold, it eventually did.”

With that idea, he and his teammates at WINDOWBOX pitched the idea to the alumni association at Capilano University, who ended up backing the project.

The only thing about trying to make a film in North Korea, is it requires a lot of authorization and permissions from the DPRK government to even so much as travel to the country. But, having a team member who had already built that trust with North Korean officials helped them gain such unprecedented access to places around Pyongyang and the rest of the country.

Director Nigel Edwards shooting B-Roll around Pyongyang (Photo: Closing the Gap: Hockey in North Korea)

“We had never-before-seen access to a sports club in North Korea, and that was definitely garnered through the trust of our liaison on the ground here, Matthew Reichel, who has a very healthy working relationship in North Korea.”

With that trust built, Francis said he and his team felt very secure and comfortable during their various trips to the country, noting the warm reception they received from the North Korean people.

Though he admits the uncertainty of going over there for the first time in 2016 was certainly on the minds of everyone involved.

“Especially up and to the point when you’re flying from China to North Korea, then you realize ‘oh wow, we’re actually here,’” said Francis. “There were definitely moments where you let fear get the best of you, and then you realize that it is just another country.”

Hockey plays a more prominent role in North Korea than some may expect, but Francis does note the skill level and access to resources when it comes to the sport are “significantly less” than what we see here in Canada.

The equipment players have access to is not as plentiful as those here in Canada, as exemplified by the goaltenders pads in this photo (Photo: Closing the Gap: Hockey in North Korea)

How hockey made its way into North Korea stems from the Soviet influence, from around the time of the Korean War.

“Most people are surprised to first-of-all hear there is hockey in North Korea, and it was left by the Soviets back in the 1950’s. So, they have been playing it since then.”

Francis and his team are very excited to debut the film. Their hope is that the movie creates a window into the life of an athlete in North Korea and that it goes beyond just the sport itself, to spark a conversation about what life is like in a country few have ever had access to.

“I think that’s the beautiful thing about sport, is that no matter what language you speak, it’s an international language wherever you are. So, if that can connect people, and make the world a better place, then I think that’s great.”

The film festival runs December 4-8 in Whistler, B.C. Francis says he is hoping to bring the film back to his hometown in the near future.

“It would definitely be great to have a screening in Grande Prairie, just to bring it back to the hometown and show the folks back there what North Korean hockey has to offer.”

The trailer for the film can be seen below:

Courtesy: Youtube / Whistler Film Festival

by Shaun Penner

Local product excited to share story of hockey in North Korea

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