"Gripping"
New York Times
"North Korea is one of the world's most mysterious countries and one of its most dangerous flashpoints. You could learn about it from Dennis Rodman, or you could watch Frontline. Your choice."
USA Today
'Remarkable'
Daily Mail
'Brilliant'
Daily Express
'We no longer have to take anybody’s word for the suffering of ordinary people in the world’s most isolated country. The barely believable, sometimes harrowing footage in last night’s North Korea: Life inside the Secret State enabled us to see it with our own eyes.'
Independent
'Heart-rending accounts of oppression and poverty are presented alongside inspirational examples of human courage'
Metro
'This is an enormously important historical document of a regime potentially at a tipping point'
Rory Peck Awards Judging Panel
Just two years on the job and armed with nuclear weapons, North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un is the world’s youngest dictator, ruling one of the world’s most isolated countries with an iron fist.
Like his father and grandfather, he is trying to maintain tight control over what the world sees of North Korea—and what North Koreans see of the world.
But as this film reveals in Secret State of North Korea cracks are starting to appear in the regime’s information barrier, and it’s becoming more porous.
Winner of Rory Peck Award for Features
Nominated for a BAFTA in the Current Affairs category
Nominated at the One World Media Awards in the Television category
Finalist at the Ilaria Alpi Award
Shortlisted for Grierson Award - Best Current Affairs Documentary
Filmed, Produced and Directed by James Jones
Assistant Producer: Nia Nguyen
Editor: Todd Downing
Composer: Jack Ketch
Executive Producers: David Henshaw, Raney Aronson-Rath, David Fanning
Broadcast on Channel 4 and Frontline PBS.