"Don’t make such a fuss, it could have been murder." The danger is palpable as intrepid young filmmaker Nanfu Wang follows activist Ye Haiyan (a.k.a. Hooligan Sparrow) to protest a sexually abusive elementary school principal in southern China. Marked as enemies of the state, the activists find themselves hounded by government thugs. Filmmaker Wang becomes a target along with Sparrow, as she faces destroyed cameras and intimidation. Yet she bravely and tenaciously keeps shooting, guerrilla-style, with secret recording devices and hidden-camera glasses—exposing a startling number of undercover security agents on the streets. As Wang struggles to protect her subject and her footage, she crafts a riveting portrait of a revolutionary activist and her seemingly impossible battle for human rights. Hooligan Sparrow is an unmissable and searing indictment of government oppression.
In Mandarin and English, with English subtitles.
Director Nanfu Wang will participate in a Skype Q&A following the August 30 screening at 6:30 p.m.
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Media Coverage
Co-presented by Human Rights Watch, JAYU and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.