School for Defectors

Name: School for Defectors
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2026-03-05

Documentary1h 33m

Storyline

In an industrial corner of Busan, South Korea, stands the tiny Jangdaehyun School. It is home to 20 students, all of whom are North Korea defectors. With unprecedented access to a community never seen on film, SCHOOL FOR DEFECTORS gives voice to young people whom the world might otherwise overlook—illuminating not just what they’ve endured, but who they are about to become.

Trailers

Official Trailer

Details

DirectorJeremy Workman

Released

Reviews

5 reviews · 4 critics

4 fresh · 0 rotten

Tim Miller

RTCape Cod Wave Magazine6 days ago

Jeremy Workman (Secret Mall Apartment) directed this poignant documentary about students in a small boarding school in South Korea for youths who have defected from North Korea.

Christopher Llewellyn Reed

RTFilm Festival TodayJun 23, 2026

In the increasingly scary 21st-century world, this is the kind of message we all need, and a lesson that School of Defectors delivers in all its cinematic glory.

Tina Kakadelis

RTBeyond the Cinerama DomeJun 18, 2026

School for Defectors is an act of love for the kids who finally have the opportunity to fall in love with life and their parents who risked death for a chance at a brighter future. "Love has a way of turning fear into courage."

Stephen Saito

RTMoveable FestJun 13, 2026

Workman crafts a deeply touching portrait of students building a future while contending with a past they had no control over.