“My father says that Korea is the most beautiful country,” eight-year-old Young Zin-mi says, as she prepares for her role in a commemorative celebration of Kim Jong-Il’s birthday. With happy parents by her side, their daily life is filmed for a whole year under close state supervision. Initiated by the North Korean government, Under the Sun is the work of a meticulous filmmaker whose keen eye captures the smallest cracks in a well-oiled system. Between constant meddling from authorities, who force Mansky to re-shoot scenes, and increasingly obvious signs of fatigue on Zin-mi’s face, Under the Sun not only shows life inside North Korea but the gradual, inevitable, and heartbreaking transformation of a little girl into a tool of the state.