PureInsight | December 18, 2018
[PureInsight.org] The documentary Letter from Masanjia directed by the Peabody Award winning Chinese director Li Yunxiang premiered at the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival (Docufest) on September 13, 2018. The film was selected by the festival and presented at the Synchronicity Theatre in downtown Atlanta.
Letter from Masanjia tells the story of an Oregonian woman named Julie Keith who found a letter in 2012 in a Halloween decoration package she had bought two years before. The letter was written by a Falun Gong practitioner named Sun Yi who was detained at the Masanjia Labor Camp. Sun Yi was an engineer who was kidnapped in 2008 for practicing Falun Gong and taken to the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp. In his letter he wrote, “Mr., if you bought this product by chance, please help transfer this letter to the World Human Rights Organization. Thousands of people under the persecution of the Chinese government will forever thank and remember you…”
Letter from Masanjia depicts encounters that occurred before and after Sun Yi wrote this letter. Sun Yi’s integrity and tenacity not only touched other prisoners who were with him at the time, but it also gave the audience a chance to understand his experience, and many shed tears.
Mr. Cole Bankston, producer of the short film Loser by Birth, also participated in the film festival. After watching Letter from Masanjia, he excitedly told reporters, “This documentary is really amazing! It is unbelievable, and I cried after watching it.” He also said, “Learning about his final encounter is a sad moment because you had just gone through many experiences with the protagonist from beginning to end.”
Bankston also praised the cinematography of Letter from Masanjia. He said, “Every shot from Letter from Masanjia looks so natural. Every scene is shot just right. I especially liked the scene of him outside the Masanjia Labor Camp. These shots were better than those taken by HD cameras in American documentary films because those large-scale shots immediately remove you from reality.” In addition, he also enjoyed the animation in the documentary. He thinks that this documentary very realistically depicts the touching experience of Sun Yi at the Masanjia Labor Camp.
Cameron Munson, director of the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival, said, “The documentary festival is an important part of the Atlanta film series. We have three days of documentaries from around the world. This is a very important event because I think documentaries are the best way for audiences to understand our world and the important events that happen here.”
There were 800 to 1000 works from around the world in the primaries, but only 60 to 70 were selected for the screening, including Letter from Masanjia.
Mr. Munson discussed the importance of this film to let the world understand the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China. He said, “The topic of the film is very important because people are suffering in China. After watching the documentary, audience members do not feel relaxed, but instead they realize that the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners is wrong.” He also said, “People do not know about it unless they watch it. Even though this is the age of social media, you have to discuss this topic with people face to face to make sure the news is spread.”
Dent Law, a sales representative from a home energy management company, said, “Very touching and educational. This documentary informs the world that the government wants to avoid spreading the news, yet this is a terrible persecution that is currently happening. This is a sad truth that should be exposed to the public. This documentary is very good.” “Strive to fight for faith. If the government tells you that you cannot believe in your faith, you should fight for your beliefs.”
Mr. Munson also praised the film’s affinity. He said, “This film reflects a sharp topic, but it is very close to the audience, very very close… When I saw the last subtitles, I really could not hold back my sorrow. I think it is very important that they shot this film because as I said this incident must be discussed in person.”
Mr. Munson also said, “This is a very good film. Everyone who participated in shooting the film should be proud because they helped convey such important information.” In addition, Mr. Munson also praised the audio and animation of Letter from Masanjia.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/246894
