The Propaganda Game

Like the creepy neighbours in a horror movie who make weird banging noises in the cellar, North Korea has become a source of furtive fascination.

Endlessly intriguing.

The movie shapes up as a vague yet intriguing survey of the hermit nation.

An intriguing yet also frustrating picture of North Korea... Álvaro Longoria ventures far beyond the typical sites of Pyongyang's impressive architecture and deserted streets.

Some may find Longoria's wry tone offensive but his playfulness is what make him worth watching. If laughter kills fear, this man is quite the slayer.

North Korea is the most secretive state on the planet so we should be thankful for the small insights found in The Propaganda Game.

Raising as many questions as it answers, Álvaro's film highlights how little we know of real life in North Korea, and how much propaganda from both sides continues to cloud international understanding.

The Spanish director Alvaro Longoria's documentary about North Korea is startling, comical and often horrifying but very even-handed.

In The Propaganda Game, the wildly surreal world of North Korea gets a fresh viewing, this time from the point of view of the only foreigner who works for the Communist government.

Longoria can't quite bring himself to denounce everything he is shown as a Potemkin village, although he is never left in peace to film without state minders.

What emerges is still a fascinating, surprising portrait of North Korea, in a film that despite its new images and fresh perspectives, ends up highlighting even more mysteries about an already enigmatic country.

he Propaganda Game is an interesting documentary for those who don't have a lot of knowledge of the country but it lacks the depth and revelations that would make it a must watch on the subject.