Megumi

In this unusual film, several genres are mixed together. In the first place documentary with fiction, but this isn’t an ordinary docudrama either. The documentary parts comprise fictional elements and the fictional parts remain close to reality. The film tells the story of a dramatic disappearance. On 15 November 1977, the Japanese schoolgirl Megumi Yokota disappeared off the face of the earth as if by magic. In the form of the actress Janica Draisma, the film maker visits the coastal town of Niigata from whence Megumi disappeared. Thirty years later, the family and the acquaintances of the girl are still stunned. They are still incredulous. Still filled with a sorrow they can’t come to terms with. In the meantime it has become apparent that Megumi was kidnapped by spies to North Korea. In that period, no less than 13 people were kidnapped from Japan to teach North Korean spies to speak fluent and natural Japanese. The parents of Megumi are convinced that their daughter is still alive, even though North Korea alleges that she has now committed suicide.
The film maker mainly wanted to tell a poetic and emotional story. For that she used elements of the feature film in order to make the loss visible. She was not primarily interested in the political side of the story. She was impressed by the hope and power of the parents and with them she came to believe that Megumi is still alive. (GjZ)