In 1977 thirteen-year-old Megumi Yokota disappeared on her way home from school. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare as police investigations and public appeals turned up no evidence, and for twenty years her parents did not know what happened to their daughter or whether she was even still alive. But then clues begin to emerge about a North Korean spying plot to kidnap Japanese citizens. Could Megumi have been victim of this espionage tactic?
In their documentary Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim span the complete spectrum of levels from one family’s personal anguish to the world of geopolitical intrigue. What begins as a story of a missing girl ultimately affects the highest levels of Japanese – North Korean relations at a time when the two countries were working towards normalization. Unfolding like a good mystery novel, the twists and turns might be unbelievable if they weren’t true.
Executive-produced by Oscar-winning director Jane Campion, Abduction has already picked up several awards including the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival and the Best Documentary Award at the San Francisco International Asian-American Film Festival.
-- Dan Krovich |
