| Ten Zan: The Ultimate Mission | |
|---|---|
 US DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Ferdinando Baldi (as Ted Kaplan) |
| Written by | Ferdinando Baldi |
| Produced by | Scino Glam Massimo Vigliar |
| Starring | Frank Zagarino Mark Gregory Romano Kristoff Sabrina Siani |
| Cinematography | Marcello Masciocchi |
| Edited by | Med Salkin |
| Music by | Elio Polizzi |
| Distributed by | Surf Film |
Release date |
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Running time | 84 min. |
| Countries | Italy North Korea |
| Language | English |
Ten Zan: The Ultimate Mission (also known as Missione Finale) is a 1988 science fiction action film written and directed by Ferdinando Baldi under the pseudonym "Ted Kaplan".[1] The film stars Frank Zagarino, Mark Gregory, Romano Kristoff, and Sabrina Siani. It was Baldi's final film before his death in 2007.
The film, an international co-production between Italy and North Korea, was filmed on-location in the latter country. To date, it is one of the few Western-produced non-documentary features to be shot in the country, and one of the only films made there to feature American actors. The film portrays North Korea as a futuristic utopia, a decision which Baldi later explained as "a conscious avoidance of reality" foisted upon the production by the local regime.[2]
Ten Zan was one of eight North Korean films to be shown at the Udine Festival of Far East Film in 2000. In a report of these screenings for Asiaweek, Richard James Havis regarded the film as "truly lamentable", saying: "The acting is worse than that of the propaganda movies, as is the plot."[2]
- ^ Schonherr, Johannes. "East of Siberia: Films From North Korea[permanent dead link]". iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific!. Retrieved on 2 November 2008.
- ^ a b Havis, Richard James. "Peering Into A Closed World Archived 2010-06-02 at the Wayback Machine". Asiaweek, 19 May 2000. Retrieved on 2 November 2008.