Comrade Kim Yong Mi is a young coalminer who lives with her father and grandmother in the North Korean countryside. As a young girl she had always dreamt of becoming an acrobat, a dream her mother supported. Following her mother’s death, her father dismissed her dreams, wanting her to focus on her work. However, her love for acrobats never goes away and when work takes her to Pyongyang, the first thing she does is visit the circus.

Backstage, she meets a famous trapeze artist who encourages her to audition. But at the audition Yong Mi finds she cannot cope with the height and falls. She is mocked by Pak Jang Phil, the handsome, arrogant trapeze star, who tells her that miners belong underground, not in the air. But she’s determined to prove him wrong.

Co-directors Nicholas Bonner and Anja Daelemans join us for a ScreenTalk following the film.

In association with House of Illustration’s exhibition (open 23 Feb to 13 May) – Made in North Korea: Everyday Graphics from the DPRK.