Abducted: The Megumi Yokota Story Airs on PBS, June 19

It was 1977. Close Encounters of the Third Kind was luring moviegoers into theaters, and alien abduction mania was in the air. A 13-year-old Japanese girl named Megumi Yokota disappeared from Niigata, the seaside town where she lived with her doting parents. Her family has been searching for her ever since.

As we learn from filmmakers Patty Kim and Chris Sheridan's investigate documentary about the case, Megumi wasn't abducted by aliens. No. It was North Korean agents who kidnapped her, along with hundreds of other Japanese citizens. Their objective? To profile and understand the Japanese, with the goal of infiltrating Japanese society. It was one of those 'stranger than fiction' moments in modern history, and it makes for a bizarre and fascinating documentary film.

Abducted:The Megumi Yokota Story has been playing the festival circuit, but if you've missed seeing it on the large screen, take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to watch it on PBS, and read my exclusive interview with directors Kim and Sheridan.