Circus Pyongyang: A gig to North Korea (True Story: What Really Happened At The Birthday Party Of North Korean President Kim Il-Sung?)

Juha Kurvinen, chainsaw juggler and holder of two official Guinness World Records, gets one day an invitation to perform at a circus in North Korea organized to honour the birthday of president Kim Il-Sung. Joining Kurvinen is the most famous Finnish professional magician Jori A. Kopponen, who has always wanted to travel to an "another planet".

The party is being held at the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang. The artists have asked two journalists to assist them on this trip. It is strictly prohibited for journalists to enter the closed country. Constant fear of getting caught, brainwash and culture shock hits on every member of the Finnish travel party, when they have to operate under constant surveillance.

Circus Pyongyang is a true story of a trip made by a Finnish artist entourage to the most closed state in the world, which is being presented as a terrestrial paradise for its western guests. The truth is something else. It's a trip to another planet, Circus Pyongyang.

"Circus Pyongyang was an enjoyable read, hard to put down. The language flows nicely. Structure is well thought out. At times Circus Pyongyang reminded me of the odysseys of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and his linguistic gimmicks."
- Eero Karisalmi, Radio Melodia / Radio Auran Aallot

Translated by Tomi-Pekka Astikainen