A new version of a Russian documentary offering a rare glimpse into life inside North Korea will be released next month with the addition of explanatory subtitles for Korean audiences, the film's domestic distributor said Tuesday.

Heo Eun-do, representative of A-List Entertainment, said the Russian documentary maker Vitaly Mansky's latest work "Under the Sun" will be shown to the public on July 14 with Korean subtitles and narration for easy understanding by Koreans.

A new version with English subtitles will also be released simultaneously for foreigners residing in South Korea, he said.

The film tells the story of Zin-mi, a North Korean schoolgirl, who joins the art troupe Korean Children's Union ahead of nationwide celebrations for the birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un.

As she goes through her everyday life, from meals with her parents to dance rehearsals, each step of the way is stage-managed by North Korean authorities.

For an 8-year-old, Zin-mi is remarkably composed throughout the entire duration of the film, until she's asked by its producers for her thoughts on joining the troupe.

Fighting back tears, she recites a poem full of praise for the dynasty of rulers leading from founding president Kim Il-sung to his son Kim Jong-il and current leader Kim Jong-un.

According to A-List Entertainment, Mansky got North Korea's permission to make a documentary about the country with the support of the Russian government.

Then he was introduced to the girl named Jin-mi, 8. Her family looked better off ― she lived in a clean and spacious house in Pyongyang, ate nutritionally balanced food and received quality education at a public school.

But the director soon realized that her life had been sugar-coated and decided to explore deeper, often secretly. The reality he encountered was shockingly different from that which he observed through the camera.

Since the film's original version was released on April 27 in South Korea, President Park Geun-hye and other key government officials watched the documentary.

After seeing the film, Park expressed hope the North would halt its nuclear weapons program and look after its own people. Some 50 people, including North Korean defectors, were invited to watch the movie with Park at a local theater in southern Seoul.

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Defense Minister Han Min-koo also watched the film at separate occasions.

But the documentary attracted merely 32,000 viewers in South Korea. "Under the Sun" will be released on a limited run in U.S. theaters beginning July 6 at the Film Forum in New York City and July 15 at Laemmle Monica Film Center in Los Angeles.

North Korea has long been accused of violating its people's basic rights in order to build a cult of personality around the Kim dynasty. Pyongyang bristles at such talk, claiming it is a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime. (Yonhap)