Since October 21, 2022, Eternal Spring (长春), the first Chinese-language film representing Canada in the race for the Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars, began screening in over 70 AMC theaters across more than 40 cities in the United States.
In the Greater Washington, D.C. area, the film was showcased simultaneously for three days (21st-23rd) at the AMC Hoffman Center in Virginia and AMC White Marsh in Baltimore, drawing many local viewers. After watching Eternal Spring, some audience members were moved to tears, gaining insight into the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) harsh persecution of religious freedom and understanding the self-sacrifices made by Falun Gong practitioners to awaken the conscience of the world.
Blending animation and reality to uncover truth
Eternal Spring uniquely combines animation and live interviews to authentically recreate an event from 20 years ago (2002). In Changchun, Falun Gong practitioners risked their lives to intercept television broadcasts, exposing the CCP’s false propaganda and persecution of Falun Gong (also known as the “305” TV Interception Incident). The film is currently nominated, representing Canada in the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film, and is a leading contender as predicted by the Oscars forecasting website Gold Derby.
Gaining awareness of the tyranny against basic human freedom
Ms. Lin (not her real name), who works in the healthcare industry in Washington, D.C., is an immigrant from mainland China. After watching Eternal Spring, she said with deep emotion: “The movie vividly portrays the CCP’s persecution of people’s basic freedoms and religious beliefs. From its inception, the Communist Party has oppressed its people, affecting not just Falun Gong practitioners, but also Uyghurs, Tibetans, and more. The CCP’s decades-long one-child policy effectively led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of children. These are profoundly evil and cruel acts.”
Ms. Lin also said: “Many in Mainland China have tried to speak out, express dissatisfaction, protest, and hope for rectification of wrongs, such as during the June Fourth Incident in 1989, but they were brutally suppressed by the CCP. Now, with advanced surveillance technologies, the freedom of Chinese people is increasingly restricted. Many are brainwashed, unaware of the outside world. As a human, the most fundamental rights are the right to life and freedom, as vital as breathing and eating, and no one should be deprived of these rights.”
‘Eternal Spring’ touches people’s hearts
Ms. Lin’s husband, Mike (not his real name), is a Westerner. He commented that Eternal Spring showcases the restriction of religious beliefs and the expression of human rights. He said: “It realistically portrays the pain experienced by the Falun Gong practitioners involved in the event. Those scenes deeply resonate with the audience.” Mike is very fond of Chinese culture and has been to Changchun before. Living in a free country, he believes that human rights and freedoms must be respected. At the same time, China has a long history of civilization, and the CCP authorities should not be allowed to destroy it.
Falun Gong practitioners risking their lives to awaken humanity
Alice (pseudonym), a Chinese-American graduate student in the Washington D.C. area, found Eternal Spring deeply moving. “In this day and age, such severe persecution is unimaginable. The realistic scenes in the movie are shocking. Such persecution is inhumane.”
She added that in the United States, human rights and religious freedom are fundamental, yet Falun Gong practitioners have to sacrifice their lives and freedom to awaken people’s conscience.
People in China have been pushed beyond the limits of endurance
At the same time, this also reminds Alice of the Beijing Sitong Bridge protest that occurred in China in October 2022. This was the first time since the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre that a slogan challenging the CCP regime appeared. Peng Zaizhou’s protest with banners on the highway bridge also reflects public opinion, which shows that many people have reached the end of their patience.
She also saw news that some online social media platforms in China had blocked 600,000 accounts that posted pictures or comments on the Sitong Bridge incident. A reporter’s account was suspended for 60 days just because he said the words “I saw it.” People in democratic countries — where protests and marches are a common occurrence — cannot imagine the heavy price people pay in China for raising their voice.
The creative force behind the film
Eternal Spring is directed by Canadian filmmaker Jason Loftus, a Peabody Award-winning producer and four-time nominee for the Canadian Screen Award. Daxiong, the lead artist, hails from Changchun and has worked on American comic book productions such as Justice League and Star Wars: Adventures. The “305” TV Interception Incident was also the reason why he was forced to leave Changchun.
Translated by Chua BC
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