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THE LOVERS AND THE DESPOT tells the story of young, ambitious South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and actress Choi Eun-hee, who met and fell in love in 1950s post-war Korea. In the 70s, after reaching the top of Korean society following a string of successful films, Choi was kidnapped in Hong Kong by North Korean agents and taken to meet Kim Jong-il. While searching for Choi, Shin also was kidnapped, and following five years of imprisonment, the couple was reunited by the movie-obsessed Kim, who declared them his personal filmmakers. Choi and Shin planned their escape, but not before producing 17 feature films for the dictator and gaining his trust in the process.
 
PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY ROBERT CANNAN AND ROSS ADAM
PRODUCED BY NATASHA DACK OJUMU
WRITTEN BY ROBERT CANNAN, ROSS ADAM AND JIM HESSION
EDITED BY JIM HESSION
ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSED BY NATHAN HALPERN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
LIZZIE FRANCKE
RICHARD HOLMES
NICK FRASER
KATE TOWNSEND
SHERYL CROWN
MAGGIE MONTEITH
VICTORIA STEVENTON
CRISTINA LJUNGBERG
SANDRA WHIPHAM
CO PRODUCERS
CHRISTOPH JORG, FEMKE WOLTING, BRUNO FELIX
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“GRIPPING. This real-life romantic thriller/escape saga is ESSENTIAL STRANGER-THAN-FICTION VIEWING.” – Justin Chang, Variety
“Perhaps the all-time strangest, most outlandish true-life story connected to the cinema. Wonderfully illustrated, alluring and informative.” – Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
“A JAW-DROPPING TALE. Vibrant cinema.” – David D’Arcy, Screen
“Wild, valuable viewing. A truly insane tale of kidnapping, loves lost and found again, and a military dictator who sincerely imagined that he could become a great populist film producer.” – Dominick Suzanne-Mayer, Consequence of Sound
“A WONDERFUL SURPRISE. Part film noir, part black comedy, part romance.” – Chris O’Falt, Indiewire
“A HEAD-SHAKINGLY BIZARRE STORY THAT ALONE MAKES IT WORTH SEEING.” – Manohla Dargis, NY Times
“BRISK, FASCINATING AND ULTIMATELY MOVING.” – Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice
A BEYOND-BELIEF DOCUMENTARY.” – Kenneth Turan, LA Times
“MEMORABLE. If John le Carré had written a Hollywood satire, it might look like this.” – David Morgan, CBS News
“SOMETIMES A CONVOLUTED PLOT CAN BE A PLEASURE TO UNTANGLE. That’s the case with “Despot,” a documentary feature, with ambiguities, adornments and a surreally lurid plot.” – Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
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