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North Koreans and others at the Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF) this week viewed the British film "Fast Girls" in a rare example of Western media in the isolated state.
The 2011 drama, about two women who become professional sprinters, was the opening film for the biennale event on Wednesday, according to Uri Tours, a U.S.-based tourism agency. It is the 14th time the PIFF has been held.
According to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), some 100 films from over 40 countries have been selected to be screened at the Bonghwa Arts Theatre in Pyongyang, for the festival.
The British comedy film "Mr. Bean" and the Bollywood film "Bride and Prejudice" were included among the films to be shown.
This is not the first time a western film has been shown in North, which tightly controls the flow of information within its borders.
In 2004, "Bend it like Beckham" was shown, and the film was later broadcasted on state television channel in 2010.
Movies from around the world as well as domestic films will compete for various awards such as the "Torch Award." The torch image is a symbol of the North's Juche ideology of self reliance.
"This festival aims for outstanding films to be specially shown, and will develop into cooperation of film and technology exchanges amongst other countries," KCNA said.
