A Kim Jong-il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator’s Rise to Power

Actor Park, a cast member of the sketch comedy show In Living Color during the early 1990s, brings his considerable talent to the audio edition of Fischer’s book. Fischer recounts the kidnapping of the South Korean film director Shin Sang-Ok and actress Choi Eun-Hee, both powerful entertainment figures who were forced to make movies for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il during eight years of captivity beginning in the late ’70s. Fischer sets the stage with extensive historical context covering both sides of the 38th parallel and then shifts into James Bond mode, with a roller-coaster ride of covert intrigue. Park, an American actor with Korean heritage, successfully navigates the minefield between presenting the over-the-top elements of the “hermit kingdom” dictatorship without descending into one-dimensional parody. He gives the individuals inside the isolated nation—ranging from prison guards and household servants to actors and studio bureaucrats—individual attention in his performance rather than simply playing stock villain caricatures. The result will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. A Flatiron hardcover. (Feb.)