By One Free Korea has made a good find on YouTube of the National Geographic show, Don’t Tell My Mother That I Am In North Korea. The narrator of the show is a French-Canadian that lies his way into North Korea and then documents his misadventures there:
Forced to leave behind his cell phone, GPS and even newspapers before entering the country, Diego Buñuel must pose as an actor to enter North Korea. Every move he makes is constantly monitored, with two watchers ‘escorting’ him wherever he goes. Starting in the capital of Pyongyang, Diego is housed in a hotel built on an island to keep visitors from interacting with locals, and where all the rooms are bugged. Attending a Catholic mass in Pyongyang, Diego finds that there are no ordained priests in North Korea; mass is led by party members. Diego also tours a fairground where children have the chance to ‘Kill American Imperialism’ in a shooting game. Venturing to the world’s largest stadium, Diego watches 100,000 dancers perform in celebration of 60 years of dictatorship. While this festivity paints an image of happiness and unity, the portrait is not quite as picturesque in the countryside. The effects of poverty, famine and oppression are deeply etched in the faces of its people and the landscape. Even in Pyongyang, the signs of repression are omnipresent – from the number of dances allowed to be performed (only 5-7 according to one party member) to the images of Kim Jung Il found in every corner.
Some things I found of interest was how much footage his minders allowed him to take as well as how many American products were available in the “supermarket” he went to. Listening to the North Korean minder tell jokes about women peeing their panties on the amusement park ride was funny to listen to and I’m sure Robert Koehler would love to take pictures of the Catholic church in Pyongyang this guy attended service at.
In the spirit of The Vice Guide to North Korea, this show is actually quite good and provides a different look at the Hermit Kingdom.
7:49 pm on February 11th, 2009 1
Hmmm, one probably won’t see this footage and commentary on MBC or any other Korean TV station. One can only imagine what it would be like for my child to have North Korean children, who have been so thoroughly brainwashed to hate Americans, sitting next to my child in a Seoul public school under a semi-united Korea.
9:28 pm on February 11th, 2009 2
Nice video GI, and thanks for linking it.
11:23 pm on February 11th, 2009 3
Everyone sees the ajummas on various posts in South Korea buying up shit at the PX and commissary in ridiculous amounts. What surprises me is that I see them doing the same thing here in the States, so it all must be going somewhere other than South Korean black markets.
9:01 am on February 12th, 2009 4
When I posted it at OnefreeKorea I was hoping it was not "old". Glad many others thought it was interesting too.
4:02 am on August 29th, 2009 5
these vdos are not workin any more
can any one give me the new link or torrent ?
3:51 am on December 14th, 2009 6
Please provide a new link for the program or where we can fond it. THANKS
1:09 am on March 24th, 2010 7
Were the guides speaking French too?
12:10 am on April 26th, 2010 8
I can't believe this guy is a "journalist" his documentary is sardonic, sarcastic and horribly narrow minded, the constant reminder that there are several indications of american products just makes me think how much of an American knob jockey he is. The idea that a place is impoverished if vegetables are grown throughout the inner city is absurd, I think all city's could use this Idea, the fact that they are groing them because of poverty…sure I get it… but it appeared as though he was using the growth of vegetables in the city a sign of poverty. Yes AMERICAN embargo's effect countries, as well as bad management, but to say thats bad managment alone is arogant, we can't forget America has used this tool to pressure countries into decisions to further their own advancement. Norht Korea to the modern world will always seem surreal, and there is no doubt that their quality of life is far less than your average westerner. There were moments in this documentary that was quite bueatiful but for the most part I saw somthing that was more similar to a Jack ASS film than a documentary. I wish they found out that he was.
11:53 pm on April 26th, 2010 9
I watched the TV program and and I loved it.
7:06 pm on May 27th, 2010 10
The United Nations reports widespread famine across North Korea, with the exception of Pyongyang. Every year, North Koreans whose lives are 'quite beautiful' flee to nearby China in search of food. So please, simpleton, read 'Nineteen Eighty-four', succumb to an unscrupulous regime for a few decades, and then discuss this journalist's MTV tendencies.
6:30 pm on July 22nd, 2010 11
i loved the show
poor korean people
i feel sorry about them 
11:27 pm on October 18th, 2010 12
Its full of comedy, a lot of jokes laughs and smiles. But the real fun in watching this, is to try and guess who is manipulating the impression the most, the North Korean Guides, or the reporter. Both have their own motives. Fun to watch. Enjoy.
12:02 am on April 5th, 2011 13
I can't find any answers to this, but I'm wondering. How did the french translator know French so well? Does North Korea let its translators go overseas to learn a language?
9:01 am on April 6th, 2011 14
He knows French so well because he is a French-Canadian
12:43 pm on April 6th, 2011 15
uh…obviously.
I meant how did the North Korean translator know French so well? Unless you meant that the Korean translator was French Canadian. If so, he seemed to know quite a lot about North Korea.
3:52 am on August 19th, 2011 16
He speaks English in all his other episodes but for this episode it was easier for him to pretend he was a French actor, which is why he spoke French. There was more than enough footage in there that was pretty telling of the story. If it was a JACKASS film he would’ve defecated in the middle of the courtyard or something to that degree.
4:05 am on August 19th, 2011 17
The videos won’t play because the Youtube account has been terminated.