“Free China: The Courage to Believe” to debut at Presbyterian Phoenix Colleges
Written by Rachel Ham
Saturday, 09 March 2013 21:22
Examining widespread human rights violations in China through remarkable stories, “Free China: The Courage to Believe” will premiere at Presbyterian College this month.
PC’s Russell Program in Media, Technology, and Society and the Program in Southern Studies will present the film and also host a discussion with director/producer/writer Michael Perlman, on Monday, March 18.
The event is set for 7 p.m. in Harrington-Peachtree 214. This film comes to PC as part of the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.
From the award-winning director of “Tibet: Beyond Fear,” “Free China: The Courage to Believe” examines widespread human rights violations in China through the remarkable stories of Jennifer Zeng, a mother and former Communist Party member; Dr. Charles Lee, a Chinese-American businessman; and hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens who are imprisoned, tortured and subjected to slave labor for their spiritual beliefs.
As political tensions rise in China with the latest corruption scandals surfacing, along with more than 100,000 protests occurring each year inside China, this timely documentary film provides new information that connects China’s widespread human rights violations with systemic unfair trade practices. The practices result in exporting many prison/forced labor products into the United States and state-sanctioned organ harvesting for profit.
The film also highlights 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 sheds light on how a re-emergence of traditional Chinese culture and spirituality are helping bring about a new China.
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of South Arts. Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization, was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts.
South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to address the role of the arts in impacting the issues important to our region, and to link the South with the nation and the world through the arts. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.
For more information on this screening and discussion, contact Dr. Molly McGehee at 833-8356.
South Arts – Building a better South through the Arts – South Arts
www.southarts.org
South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization that has been making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975.
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For the FULL South Arts Film Festival schedule where director Michael Perlman will be attending please visit
http://www.southarts.org/site/c.guIYLaMRJxE/b.1315601/apps/s/content.asp?ct=8537875