Abrupt Cries For Freedom

Scott Tikoshura

Randall Park

Charles Chun

Imelda Staunton

Liam Neeson

***Abrupt Cries For Freedom*** is a 2016 American drama film depicting the escape of an American autistic teenager's (Michael Baldric) escape from his abusive caretaker (Scott Tikashura) who held him hostage in North Korea after having kidnapped him. The film was shot in Canada, Oregon, Japan, South Korea and Finland. And the main characters are Jacob Kinross played by an actual autistic actor Michael Baldric in his film debut. And Kim chul-Tae who is played by Scott Tikoshura and Randall Park as a political officer named "Bae" who assists in Jacob's escape from North Korea while defecting to South Korea. The film has been criticized for inaccurate cultural representations of North Korean culture and its ableist nature of the film.

## Plot

In the year 2006, a Korean teacher Kim chul-Tae promises the mother of Jacob Kinross to teach at a middle school in Minnesota. He claims that Jacob is gifted and wants to use his skills to revolutionize his classroom. Only early into the school year Jacob goes missing and an Amber alert has been issued.

As the news of a missing child spreads across the country, the FBI launches an investigation as they began search across Minnesota for his whereabouts. Meanwhile Jacob travels to Pyongyang, North Korea where he hopes to stay for a week. He is warmly welcomed by students and due to his inability to speak Korean fluently he gets laughed at by students. Not knowing of what is happening, Jacob Kinross realizes that he has been deceived by his own caretaker and was kidnapped before taken abroad to Pyongyang, North Korea. Even though Kim chul has promised to return Jacob to the United States, but ends up protesting his imprisonment. Jacob is struck by Kim chul, and nobody at the school or in the apartment sympathizes with him.

As Kim chul grows more hostile and aggressive with Jacob, preventing him from using the phone or leaving the apartment. In March of 2007, Jacob briefly manages to travel to the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang. Upon learning that escaping North Korea is impossible, he is given a geography lesson by the British Ambassador. After learning from the British Ambassador that people with disabilities are taken to prison camps with no way to escape. As an autistic person living in North Korea, he must learn to observe North Korean customs for self preservation and safety reasons. One day after Jacob flips out during a rehearsal for a musical play before the Arirang festival starts in August, 2007
Kim chug precedes to beat him up and drags him across Pyongyang threading to kill him.

Jacob manages to escape Kim's abuse by running to a bowling alley and meets a sympathetic political officer named "Bae" who grants him refuge in the countryside.

Jacob eventually gets what is perceived to be his last chance for escape. When Bae becomes more involved in a complicated plan. He finds an opportunity to help by luring Kim chul into a trap. Under the pretense of visiting his sick father, Jacob contacts Bae on the escape and begins working with North Korean defectors while Bae kidnaps Kim chul. While Jacob is smuggled out of North Korea by defectors and crosses the border into China. Jacob is flown back to the United States where he is reunited with his family while the newly defected Bae arrests Kim chul after having been tricked into crossing into South Korea. Kim chul is extradited back to the United States on kidnapping and child endangerment charges after being wanted by the FBI.

## Trivia

The movie *Abrupt Cries For Freedom* is a fictional film.

*Abrupt Cries For Freedom* heavily references the movie Not Without My Daughter which deals with simular themes.