“Three Days in Wukan” by Ai Xiaoming (available only in Chinese, 100 minutes)
In “Three Days in Wukan,” Chinese filmmaker Ai Xiaoming documents the disappointments and hopes of Wukan villagers at the height of their protests against the government’s seizure of farmland. Ai and some volunteers secretly entered the village on December 19, 2011, when Shanwei City Party Secretary Zheng Yanxiong’s spoke to villagers about the protests.
In her latest documentary, “Three Days in Wukan,” well-known Chinese filmmaker Ai Xiaoming documents the disappointments and hopes of Wukan villagers at the height of their dramatic protests against the government’s seizure of their farmland. Ai and a group of volunteers secretly entered the village on December 19, 2011, the day Shanwei City Party Secretary Zheng Yanxiong’s speech on the protests was delivered to the village. In the next two days, the provincial party officials entered the village and the provincial vice party secretary met with the villagers’ representative, recognizing his and other representatives’ legitimacy. Ai’s documentary, with interviews of villagers, therefore records Wukan’s protests as it turned a new page.