[USFK Forums] Film on abductee Megumi Yokota wins prize at U.S. film festival [Kyodo]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Monday, January 30, 2006

Saturday January 28, 9:56 PM

Film on abductee Megumi Yokota wins prize at U.S. film festival

(Kyodo) _ A U.S. documentary film chronicling North Korea's abduction of Megumi Yokota and depicting her family's agony won an award for best documentary feature at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Friday.

The 85-minute film "Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story," directed by Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim and based on interviews with abductees' families and other materials, was honored with the Audience Sparky Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The film depicts what Shigeru Yokota and his wife Sakie have been through since their 13-year-old daughter's 1977 abduction by North Korean agents and their campaign to enlist the Japanese government's help in rescuing her.

The whereabouts of Megumi Yokota remain unaccounted for. Pyongyang has said she died in North Korea, but Tokyo rejects their claim as untrustworthy and is pressing the North to return her and other abduction victims to Japan.

The film festival is held annually to introduce short-reel films produced mainly by independent movie companies. It selects winning entries for more than 20 award categories, and the chosen films will be presented at special screenings in New York, Los Angeles and other locations after the festival.



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