School for Defectors

School for Defectors · 2026 ↗92 min

Executive Producer Daniel Dae Kim and HIFF alum Jeremy Workman (LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD, SECRET MALL APARTMENT) bring this story following 20 students over the course of one year at the tiny Jangdaehyun School in South Korea. Amongst the daily victories and struggles of adolescence lies the shadow of a shared history: all of the children are defectors from North Korea. With unprecedented access to a community never seen on film, SCHOOL FOR DEFECTORS gives voice to this group of resilient young people, illuminating not just what they’ve endured, but who they are about to become. What emerges is a resoundingly optimistic and deeply human story of hope, youth, and possibility.