A Night in Pyongyang Start|The Book|The Show|Pictures|Movies & Music|Links|Contact Making of Werner Kranwetvogel is film director and has studied on the Munich Film School from 1994 to 2000. He directs commercials and feature films. In the late 90s he saw a picture of the Mass Games in the DPRK for the first time and was fascinated from the first moment on, but didn't think, that it was possible, to really go there. 2005 he decided to visit the show by himself and had the opportunity to view two performances of the 'Arirang' Mass Games. A Night in Pyongyang is his first picture book. > The experience of being there > A close view DPRK Mass Games: The world's greatest show The origins of Mass Games can be considered to lie in the gymnastics movement of the teacher and German nationalist Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778 – 1852) who formed a huge movement of 'patriot gymnasts' in the 19th century. The first public performance of the German gymnasts took place 1860 in Coburg with 970 performers and was basically a show of physical exercises with only a few artistic elements. But the Mass Games performed in the Democratic People's republic of Korea are tremendous shows featuring up to 100.000 participants. The performance still contains elements of physical education but these are presented in a very aesthetic way. Events such as this have been very popular in different communist countries of the so-called 'Eastern Bloc'. But North Korean Mass Games dwarf all other comparable events ever performed. They are not only the world's greatest show, they are the greatest show ever. The Mass Games are composed of three different elements: gymnastics, backdrop, and music. Each of these components is essential for a successful mass gymnastics but they are not identical in their degree of importance. > Gymnasts | > Backdrop | > Music | > Ideology > General Kim Jong Il about the Mass Games Werner Kranwetvogel A Night in Pyongyang 128 pages, 72 colour pictures hardcover, 24,90 € (D) English issue in preparation Please subscribe to our mailing list to inform you as soon as the English issue will be published. - The first picture book ever about North Korean Mass Games - A close view of the world's most unknown country Impressum