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A Circle and Three Lines

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Gr 9 Up—The history of one of modern history's most recognizable icons, the peace symbol, is presented in this brief film. Originally developed by Gerald Holtom, an English graphic designer, for the purpose of supporting a 1958 march in support of nuclear disarmament, the symbol has since become a catch-all for everything from war protest to Greenpeace. Most of the information is provided via an interview with Ken Kolsbun, the author of Peace: The Biography of a Symbol (National Geographic, 2008) and a collector of peace symbols. The remainder of the film features not particularly insightful man-on-the-street interviews in which these individuals discuss what the peace symbol means to them. The picture and sound quality are good. However, the film's brevity limits its scope and the various perspectives that are offered. Still, this production does provide food for thought.—Ryan Henry, Daviess County Public Library, Owensboro, KY
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , May 01, 2011

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