culture

The music and dance performance based on real-life story “Our Father”, which was created and produced by the North Phyongan Provincial Art Troupe, was staged at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre from July 14 to 24.

The performance, composed of prologue, epilogue, four chapters and seven scenes, touched the heartstrings of the audiences.

Sensation

“We have never imagined that our performance would create such a great sensation in Pyongyang from the beginning to the last,” said Choe Chol Hak, head of the North Phyongan Provincial Art Troupe.

The music and dance performance based on real-life story “Our Father” deals with the self-sacrificing devotion of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, who directed the operations to rescue the residents of the northwestern tip of the country which was hit by flood in July last year and took special measures of love and benevolence unprecedented in history in order to defend the destiny of the people to the last, and with impressive happenings of those days.

The creators and performers are all eyewitnesses of those events.

They had originally planned to give eight rounds of performance, but they actually gave 20 rounds.

At the repeated request of Pyongyang citizens, they increased the round of performance from one to two or three a day and the theatre had a full house each time.

Audiences and performers weep together

“We projected onto the screen the images of the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un who had overcome the natural disaster together with us. It is the first of its kind in the stage drama of our country,” said Ri Nam Hyon, director of the North Phyongan Provincial Art Troupe.

Ri Pom Sun, an usher of the Pyongyang Grand Theatre, said with deep emotion that the entire audience burst into deafening applause when the images of the General Secretary were projected onto the screen.

“No one saw the pictures with dry eyes. I could not hold back tears since I recollected those days as I saw again the photographs of the respected General Secretary, who looked round the submerged area on a rubber boat, though it was dangerous, after sending the flood victims to a safe refuge and who made his way by car through the deep muddy water flowing in rapids,” said Jang Sun Il, an old woman living in Sohung-dong, Moranbong District, Pyongyang.

The audience kept using their handkerchiefs throughout the performance. Other pictures of him projected onto the screen included those showing him visiting the makeshift tents, in which flood victims were staying, in sultry weather to take meticulous care of them with paternal affection. The audience said that, watching the images of the General Secretary, they could not calm their mind at the thought that there would be no such a leader like him elsewhere in the world.

Choe Chol Hyok, staffer of the Rungna People’s Recreation Ground, said that without the General Secretary, it would have been impossible even to imagine the happiness enjoyed by the flood victims and their children in the capital city of Pyongyang and the sea change undergone by the Amnok riverside which turned into a world of wonders of civilization lined with modern dwelling houses, with no trace of flood damage.

The performers also gave performances in tears.

Performance breaks convention

It was a usual practice for the art troupe to involve only professional artistes.

But this time, there are many officials, blue- and white-collar workers, sportspersons, students and children of North Phyongan Province among those involved in the performance.

They volunteered to take part in the performance and became actors and actresses. Their life experience made them wonderful actors and actresses who are by no means inferior to professionals.

“This work is never a story about disaster relief. It is the story about the campaign to defend the afflicted people waged by the General Secretary who embraced those who suffered a misfortune and made his way through the raging waves to protect their destiny. His devotion and love for the people just became the seed and theme of the work," said writers Ham Kwi Yong and Ok Song Il.

The creators unanimously say that the work could be completed ideologically and artistically as it reflects all people’s absolute trust in and reverence for the General Secretary and their sincere loyalty to him.

“There are many other stories about love and benevolence shown by the General Secretary for flood victims. I am regretful for having failed to contain all of them in this work. We will continue our creative activities out of the desire to convey the stories of love to the people,” said Choe Chol Hak.