251:"Center", which is heavily guarded by mercenaries. The leader of the scientists is an avid biologist, Professor Larson, who dreams of breeding a master race to rule the world. The scientific organizations in Asia and Europe are aware of these experiments and decide to do something about them. A group of ex-commando fighters are used, who have never failed so far. But it remains to be seen if this mission is to succeed.
230:, 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.
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in that the character of
Professor Larson, who hires the two protagonists at the beginning, turns out at the end to be the head of the antagonists' organization, meaning that he sent the heroes to destroy his own operation. Baldi later conceded in an interview that this did not make sense, but blamed
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The film was co-produced by North Korea and by an
Italian company called Amerinda. Filming took place in North Korea and lasted eight weeks. North Korean authorities frequently interfered with filming, forbidding Baldi to use certain locations. The North Koreans were initially very reluctant to have
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Zagarino liked to take photos, which caused an incident during filming as the North
Koreans suspected him of being a spy. Baldi later said that Zagarino had then been arrested and jailed for two days. However, Zagarino himself downplayed the incident in an interview and said that the North Koreans
250:
A group of known troublemakers are working on experiments in the Far East. They have discovered a substance that penetrates human cells, and makes changes to chromosomes and genes. These experiments are carried out on young girls who are abducted from the local villages. They are brought to the
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311:, which was then struggling to find markets even in other communist countries. It was decided to produce an action film which could look Western enough to circumvent the embargo on North Korean products and turn out a profit on international markets. The North Koreans went to the
369:
After organizing a screening in Italy for the North
Koreans, Baldi had no further contact with them. Due to a falling out between the Italian co-producers and the North Koreans, the film was never released in Italy. It was only released internationally on
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the inconsistency on "a problem of production" as he was not allowed to see the rushes during filming. Baldi speculated that the script had been somehow changed during production without him being informed.
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merely confiscated his camera. Zagarino called the film "a huge disaster", as filming in North Korea had been particularly difficult and the North
Koreans "never gave us what they promised".
325:, and proposed him the project. Baldi was surprised at the idea of shooting a film in North Korea but was curious enough about the experience to accept. He initially wrote a script about the
268:, he is contracted through FSR (Final Solution Research), an organization that contracts commandos to deals with problem too delicate to be handled through official government channels.
415:
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282:): a middle-man for FSR, he is hired by Professor Larson to commission the FSR to end the illegal trafficking of woman, which in turn hires Lou Mamet. Credited as Rom Kristoff.
394:, a U.S. defector to North Korea, but this is not corroborated by other sources, which credit the role to Charles Borromel, a British actor who appeared in many Italian films.
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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
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Professor Larson (Charles
Borromel): Lithuanian professor of the University of Vilna, who works to breed a master race.
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According to a 2020 interview with Romano
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Mavi (Kim Follet): the younger sister of Ricky, and love interest for Mamet.
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596:Ten Zan – Ferdinando Baldi’s Ultimate Mission
307:was produced as an attempt to revitalize the
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626:(movie). North Korea: Rainbow International.
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420:iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific!
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683:Italian science fiction action films
673:English-language North Korean films
693:Films directed by Ferdinando Baldi
688:North Korean science fiction films
663:1980s science fiction action films
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492:"Entretien avec Romano Kristoff"
703:Films about genetic engineering
622:Kaplan, Ted (Director) (1988).
502:from the original on 2022-07-17
422:. Retrieved on 2 November 2008.
678:English-language Italian films
526:North Korean Cinema: A History
264:): a mercenary-for-hire, from
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638:Ten Zan: The Ultimate Mission
203:"Ted Kaplan". The film stars
179:Ten Zan: The Ultimate Mission
22:Ten Zan: The Ultimate Mission
668:1980s English-language films
436:Peering Into A Closed World
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352:The film includes a major
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698:Films shot in North Korea
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195:written and directed by
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434:Havis, Richard James. "
414:Schonherr, Johannes. "
392:Charles Robert Jenkins
349:, play the lead role.
266:Mattituck, Long Island
624:The Ultimate Mission
474:The Ultimate Mission
472:Kaplan, Ted (1988).
708:1980s Italian films
329:, hence the title,
255:Cast and characters
96:Marcello Masciocchi
600:Film International
558:"Charles Borromel"
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149:Running time
126:Release date
112:Elio Polizzi
79:Mark Gregory
33:US DVD cover
327:Pacific War
260:Lou Mamet (
228:North Korea
193:action film
163:North Korea
61:Produced by
39:Directed by
658:1988 films
652:Categories
569:25 January
506:2020-08-27
402:References
372:home video
300:Production
199:under the
104:Med Salkin
64:Scino Glam
53:Written by
496:Nanarland
354:plot hole
201:pseudonym
158:Countries
120:Surf Film
101:Edited by
500:Archived
447:Asiaweek
439:Archived
335:Iwo Jima
288:Glenda (
239:Asiaweek
168:Language
109:Music by
71:Starring
542:July 7,
365:Release
331:Ten Zan
305:Ten Zan
278:Ricky (
271:Jason (
234:Ten Zan
171:English
153:84 min.
135: (
533:
322:Warbus
215:, and
378:Notes
224:Italy
161:Italy
643:IMDb
571:2023
563:MUBI
544:2014
531:ISBN
246:Plot
226:and
137:1988
133:1988
641:at
598:".
445:".
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579:^
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427:^
374:.
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509:.
139:)
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