04/29/2010

Banned Chinese Independent Documentaries Shine Overseas

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Independent documentaries from mainland China have received increased attention and recognition overseas in recent years. (Getty images)

Independent documentaries from mainland China have received increased attention and recognition overseas in recent years. The 2010 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema has added a new category, “Radical Visions From China,” consisting of eight locally based contemporary filmmakers.

Four of the eight winning entries of Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries shown during the Hong Kong International film Festival that concluded on April 6 were productions by mainland Chinese directors.

One of the award winners was Petition, a 12-year project by 39-year-old Zhao Liang. The documentary that recorded the stories of a group of petitioners in Beijing was to be shown by invitation at a special screening in Cannes last March. The movie was banned in China right after its debut at the Beijing Independent Film Festival.

Zhao Liang remarked that Petition is more important for Chinese audiences than foreign audiences, because many people in China have no idea that incredible things like this happened and are still happening in their own country.

Read more at The Epoch Times

Apr 29, 2010 12:42:28 AM | Current Affairs, Film

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