HBO Europe buys North Korea doc

HBO Europe has acquired a documentary about North Korean refugees hiding in China, one of a number of deals distributor First Hand Films has secured.

HBO’s deal is for the 1x58mins The Defector – Escape from North Korea, which is filmed undercover and follows the journey thousands of North Koreans make to China.

Elsewhere, RSI in Switzerland has acquired 1x52mins Footprints of War, NHK in Japan and Telesur in Latin America have bought Shadows of Liberty, Russia today has gone for Heroes for a Semester and ORF in Austria has taken Surviving the Tsunami – My Atomic Aunt.

First Hand Films has also confirmed the deal for Sound of Torture (Journey Story) to Dutch pubcaster Vara, which First Hand CEO Esther Van Messel told TBI of in Feburary.