Chinese Consulate in Houston Attempts to Interfere with the World Premiere of
“Free China: The Courage to Believe”
at 2012 Palm Beach International Film Festival (screening April 14th & 16th)
A Film by Michael Perlman (53 min), co-produced with New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD).
Filmmakers and Chinese Labor Camp Survivor (subject of film) to attend screenings.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (NEW YORK, NY– April 16th, 2012) The 17th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival will play host to the World Premiere of the film “Free China: The Courage To Believe,” by Michael Perlman, the award winning director of “Tibet: Beyond Fear.” The film examines widespread human rights violations in China through the remarkable stories of Jennifer Zeng, a mother and former Communist Party member and Dr. Charles Lee, a Chinese American businessman, who along with hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens are tortured and subjected to slave labor for their spiritual beliefs in the Falun Gong meditation practice.
But the film’s debut was not without controversy with news that one of the organizers was contacted multiple times by the Chinese Consulate in Houston, demanding that the film be pulled from the Festival.
The director Michael Perlman said “I was told the shocking news today from one of the organizers of the Palm Beach International Film Festival that the Chinese Consulate in Houston has repeatedly called the festival demanding that the world premier of my film Free China: The Courage to Believe be pulled from the festival program.”
He continues “This brazen attempt to silence free speech and expression of an American citizen in the United States by the Chinese government is dangerous and must be exposed so that these actions will not be repeated. I am grateful that the festival has stood strong, citing the first amendment rights of all Americans and has refused to cave in to Chinese Communist government’s demands. “
As tens of millions of Chinese citizens quit the Communist Party and its related organizations and more than one hundred thousand protests occur each year inside China, this timely documentary film provides new information that connects China’s widespread human rights violations with systemic unfair trade practices and state-sanctioned organ harvesting for profit.
The film documents specificUScompanies that profit from enabling the Chinese leadership to suppress dissidents and sheds light on the recent lawsuit filed by the Human Rights Law Foundation against Cisco System for allegedly implementing an elaborate surveillance apparatus that has led to the detention and torture of many Chinese prisoners of conscience. The film also explores how Internet technologies are aiding human rights activists in China and around the world by allowing uncensored information into closed societies. In addition, the film highlights how a re-emergence of traditional Chinese culture and spirituality are helping bring about a new China.
Interviewees in the film Include:
Dr. Charles Lee, Chinese American Businessman and Falun Gong practitioner
Jennifer Zeng, Former Chinese Communist Party Member, Falun Gong practitioner and best selling author of “Witnessing History: One Chinese Woman’s Fight for Freedom”
Hon. David Kilgour, Former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Rep. Chris Smith, US Congressman, Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (Chairman of its Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee)
Ethan Gutmann, Author of “Losing The New China” and Contributor for The Asian Wall Street Journal
Final Screening at the Festival
Muvico Parisian 20 at CityPlace 1, 2:45 PM Mon, Apr 16
545 Hibiscus Street, WestPalm Beach,FL33401
Q&A After Screening
There will be Q&A at the end of the film with Michael Perlman (Director/Producer), Kean Wong (Producer/Executive Producer) and Jennifer Zeng, labor camp survivor and main subject of film
For more info, visit: FreeChinaMovie.com & FaceBook.com/FreeChinaMovie & pbifilmfest.org
Press Contacts:
Michael Perlman (Director/Producer) Kean Wong (Producer/Executive Producer)
World2Be Productions NTD Television
Tel: (212) 709-8056 Tel: (347)-681-3987
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