A Traffic Controller on Crossroads (1986, English Subtitles)

This is a film about, you guessed it, traffic safety. It starts off with a woman who has just been newly christened in her job as a Pyongyang traffic supervisor. On her first assignment, she encounters a man who is using his work truck for personal use, along with driving unsafely. She detains him before eventually finding out that he was delivering the washing machine to her house. She attempts to hide in another room, but the man sees her.  She immediately feels guilty for her actions.

SPOILERS BELOW

The man continues to drive unsafely, and the traffic woman gives a presentation on traffic safety to local citizens, who appreciate her advice. There’s lots of scenes with the man and woman deliberating over what to do. The traffic woman begins to wonder whether she should have gone into rhythmic gymnastics. She eventually speaks to her supervisor, who talks about how she let another young driver slide on traffic regulations, which resulted in a terrible accident. Later, the chauffeur of the head of the Research Institute violates a no parking zone. The traffic woman chastises him, and the head of the Research Institute goes back later to make a formal apology.

The driver from the beginning is falling asleep while driving in the outskirts of Pyongyang, and caught by the traffic woman. He is told to wait and promptly falls asleep. The traffic woman soon discovers someone driving dynamite from Nampho to the Anju mines. His truck has broken down, and his cargo is in danger of getting wet, making it useless. The traffic woman soon goes to get the replacement parts, and repairs the truck. The man who’s fallen asleep has now awakened, and walks out of his truck to discover the traffic woman working on the broken down dynamite truck. She cannot fix it on her own, so he steps in to finish the repair. He then realizes the value of her work, and vows to drive safer. The film closes with the Pyongyang traffic woman on the job, saluting to the man while he drives the truck. She receives flowers for her valiant effort in repairing the dynamite truck.

This films’ premise is, perhaps, the most absurd of them all. It’s a film about traffic safety in a country with almost no traffic, much less people who own cars. It is a solid affirmation of equality between men and women in a Communist society, though.

Cast and Crew unknown.