Escaping North Korea: ‘Beyond Utopia’ documents one path to freedom
“Beyond Utopia” follows a family who has escaped what some describe as a maximum security prison: North Korea.
After the Ro family crosses a river into China, they furtively travel to Thailand via Vietnam and Laos. If caught, they’ll be sent back. At one point, the six refugees enter a Vietnamese rainforest at night. To avoid being spotted, they’re careful not to shine their flashlights upward. The group includes two young girls, who take turns piggybacking on their father. The children’s 80-year-old grandmother stoically staggers up a slick mountainside.
“When people see Grandma going through the jungle, they can’t
