Det Røde Kapel
Encyclopedia
Det Røde Kapel was a Danish
television show on the Danish television channel
DR2
, about the fictional theatre group Det Røde Kapel, which consists of three Danish comedians, who want to perform a comedy/variety show
in North Korea
. The show is notable for actually taking place in North Korea.
While the point of the trip is not to mock the regime of North Korea, the three comedians are able to act in ways that might quickly have raised suspicion in western countries, but due to the isolation of the inhabitants, and extremely low or non-existent exposure to western media, certain themes such as irony and subtle mockery are not seen as offensive. Their ability to communicate between each other in Danish, which is understood by no one else, also allows them certain freedom.
Along with the on-going challenge of getting their theatre show performed, the show also follows the three around certain "tourist friendly" landmarks in North Korea in or close to the capital Pyongyang
, where they are taken to under strict supervision and guidance by officials. While it is difficult to judge the truthfulness of the situation, their female guide throughout their journey seems to develop strong affection for the group, acting very sad when they leave, and expressing hope that they will meet again.
During their trip, all of their camera footage has to be delivered to North Korean censoring officials, and is only returned to them after screening.
The title refers to the communistic
spy
unit, Rote Kapelle, which operated in Nazi Germany
.
The footage is also used in the 2010 documentary film The Red Chapel
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
television show on the Danish television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
DR2
DR2
DR2 is a Danish television station. It is part of Danmarks Radio, the public service broadcasting company of Denmark.It was launched in 1996 as a satellite-/cable-only channel. This was highly controversial at the time, as it was considered close to a breach of public service principles that the...
, about the fictional theatre group Det Røde Kapel, which consists of three Danish comedians, who want to perform a comedy/variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The show is notable for actually taking place in North Korea.
While the point of the trip is not to mock the regime of North Korea, the three comedians are able to act in ways that might quickly have raised suspicion in western countries, but due to the isolation of the inhabitants, and extremely low or non-existent exposure to western media, certain themes such as irony and subtle mockery are not seen as offensive. Their ability to communicate between each other in Danish, which is understood by no one else, also allows them certain freedom.
Along with the on-going challenge of getting their theatre show performed, the show also follows the three around certain "tourist friendly" landmarks in North Korea in or close to the capital Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, where they are taken to under strict supervision and guidance by officials. While it is difficult to judge the truthfulness of the situation, their female guide throughout their journey seems to develop strong affection for the group, acting very sad when they leave, and expressing hope that they will meet again.
During their trip, all of their camera footage has to be delivered to North Korean censoring officials, and is only returned to them after screening.
The title refers to the communistic
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
spy
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
unit, Rote Kapelle, which operated in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
The footage is also used in the 2010 documentary film The Red Chapel
The Red Chapel
-External links:* The official film website* at the Sundance Film Festival website, including trailer* from The Hollywood Reporter...
.
External links
- Official website on DR2's own page (Danish)
- Pirat TV page Showing all episodes (though with no English subtitles for the non English parts) (Danish)