They Have Escaped

Filmmaker Mads Brügger, under the guise of a fictional dictator, infiltrates a secret, notorious North Korean labor camp. Through a series of elaborate deceptions and clandestine meetings with inmates, he uncovers the harrowing realities of life and death within the camp.

They Have Escaped was met with critical acclaim, lauded for its audacious premise and unflinching portrayal of human rights abuses in North Korea. Reviewers praised Brügger's daring approach and the film's ability to elicit empathy for its subjects, despite the inherent dangers of its production.

• An incredibly brave and shocking documentary that exposes the horrors of North Korean labor camps.
• Mads Brügger's daring and inventive filmmaking shines a light on unimaginable suffering.
• A powerful and essential film that demands to be seen.

Google audience: Viewers were deeply moved by the film's expose of the brutal conditions in North Korean prison camps, commending its courage and the filmmaker's innovative methods for uncovering the truth. Many expressed shock and sadness at the depicted atrocities, highlighting the film's emotional impact.

Winner of the World Cinema Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2014. Nominated for Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2014.

Mads Brügger, the film's director and protagonist, adopted the persona of a Belgian conspiracy theorist to gain access to sensitive information and navigate the complex political landscape required for filming.