North Korean cinematography does not have a tradition of horror films. Adventures involving vampires and zombies do not properly fit into the tradition of socialist realism, which is expected to be sunny and optimistic. Yet in my view, the atmosphere in some North Korean films is indeed scary – though it is not always the intention of its authors.

When I discovered a short film “Trust the metal scrap to me”, produced in the 1970s, I delved into it expecting to experience some nostalgic pleasures.

Like any person brought up in the Soviet Union, I spent some time in my