School for Defectors

Jeremy Workman, the son of the legendary filmmaker/editor Chuck Workman, follows up his fantastic 2024 documentary Secret Mall Apartment with this Korean-language doc about a little boarding school for North Korean defector students located in an industrial corner of Busan, South Korea. Workman's access to the facility and the students' lives creates a stirring portrait of a community of young people in extraordinary circumstances, yet they come across as typical teens. The director and producers, Jo So-na and Her Yoon-soo, let their subjects blossom on camera, providing a fascinating glimpse into their culture.