Little Pyongyang is a short film centred around the story Joong-wha Choi, a former Northern Korean soldier who now lives in the sleepy London borough of New Malden.

The movie sets itself on a colour frame of pink and teal as an intimate interview with Choi begins on his hopes, fears and longing of home. Choi’s experience defecting from North Korea has cut his life in two, disorientating him from his sense of purpose and belonging. 

Reflecting on how grateful he feels to have a home in the United Kingdom, Choi still longs for his homeland, and finds comfort in the memories of his childhood. Despite the hardships of living under the North Korean state, the value and meaning in Choi’s life still stems from the formative years he spent growing up and growing old in Pyongyang. The short film illustrates an honest and intimate portrait of uncertainty, hope and longing, in a life healing from the trauma of displacement. 

Words: Hiba Zubairi