In person: Zeng Jinyan, producer
Ai Weiwei has selected a series of films, by him and others, to be shown in conjunction with his Trace exhibition, on view at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden through January 1, 2018. We are proud to present one of them, a controversial documentary on workers’ rights in China.
Shot over a six-year period in the industrial hub of south China, this unprecedented look at China’s world of labor organizers follows activists as they find common ground with workers and negotiate with local officials and factory owners over wages and working conditions. Threats, attacks, and detention are a daily part of their lives. This epic portrait captures the emergence of a nascent working-class consciousness and labor movement in China. The film’s producer, Zeng Jinyan, a blogger, human rights activist, and scholar, appears in person to discuss the film and her work on behalf of China’s disenfranchised people. (Dir.: Wen Hai, Hong Kong/China, 2017, 174 min., DCP, Mandarin with English subtitles)
Image courtesy the dGenerate Collection at Icarus Films