# Beyond Utopia

Beyond Utopia is a 2023 American documentary film directed by Madeleine Gavin. Debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary largely centers around Pastor Seungeun Kim, a South Korean human rights activist and director of the Caleb Mission, which has rescued over 1,000 North Korean defectors since 2000. The film also shows amateur footage from inside the DPRK as well as interviews Hyeonseo Lee and other defectors.

## Release

Beyond Utopia debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023. The film was screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in the "Documentary Showcase" section on October 8, 2023. In the United States Roadside Attractions and Fathom Events acquired distribution rights and released the film on a two-day screening on October 23 and October 24, 2023. Independent Lens acquired broadcast television rights to the film, setting a January 9, 2024, broadcast.

## Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 57 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "A documentary that feels like a thriller, Beyond Utopia is a gripping—and frightening—glimpse of life under oppression." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Writing for /Film, Ben Pearson gave the film a score of 9 out of 10 and found the handheld footage to be "nothing short of extraordinary." Variety's Owen Gleiberman praised the film for showing audiences the "forgotten" tragedy of North Korea through its use of impressive first-hand camerawork. In a more mixed review, Daniel Fienberg, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, found the film to have a tension-filled and emotional story while following the defecting families, but derided the inclusion of a "dry and lifeless" history lesson on North Korea that didn't fit alongside the compelling first-hand accounts.

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Sundance Film Festival | 29 January 2023 | U.S. Documentary Competition: Grand Jury Prize | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Sundance Film Festival | 29 January 2023 | U.S. Documentary Competition: Audience Award | Beyond Utopia | Won | |
| Sydney Film Festival | 18 June 2023 | GIO Audience Award for Best International Documentary | Beyond Utopia | Won | |
| Jerusalem Film Festival | 23 July 2023 | In Spirit for Freedom Award | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 3 November 2023 | Best Documentary Film | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | 12 November 2023 | Best Documentary Feature | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | 12 November 2023 | Best Political Documentary | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | 12 November 2023 | Best Director | Madeleine Gavin | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | 12 November 2023 | Best Editing | Madeleine Gavin | Nominated | |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | 11 December 2023 | Best Documentary | Beyond Utopia | 7th Place | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | 12 December 2023 | Best Documentary Film | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | 13 December 2023 | Best Documentary | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 17 December 2023 | Best Documentary Film | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | 17 December 2023 | Best Documentary | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | [22] [23] |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | 18 December 2023 | Best Documentary Film | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Women Film Critics Circle Awards | 18 December 2023 | Best Documentary by or About Women | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 3 January 2024 | Best Documentary | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | 5 January 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Beyond Utopia | Runner-up | [27] [28] |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | 6 January 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | 8 January 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards | 9 January 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | 10 January 2024 | Best Documentary | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Cinema Eye Honors | 12 January 2024 | Audience Choice Prize | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Cinema Eye Honors | 12 January 2024 | Outstanding Production | Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen and Sue Mi Terry | Nominated | |
| Denver Film Critics Society | 12 January 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | 22 January 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | [35] [36] |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | 10 February 2024 | Outstanding Directing – Documentary | Madeleine Gavin | Nominated | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | 25 February 2024 | Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures | Beyond Utopia | Nominated | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 7–8 September 2024 | Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking | Lois Vossen, Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Sue Mi Terry, Madeleine Gavin | Nominated | |