Eternal Spring

Chinese censorship and its long-lasting repercussions are highlighted in this animated documentary (Canada’s official Oscar® entry), done in the breathtakingly expressive style of comic book artist Daxiong, about the time when religious movement Falun Gong hijacked a Changchun TV signal to spread its anti-Communist message. —M.G.

In 2002 some members of the outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong hijacked China’s state TV, broadcasting a PSA denying the government's narrative about their beliefs and practices. Following the heist, thousands with ties to Falun Gong were beaten, arrested, and tortured. Some fled China to escape persecution, including famed comic-book artist, Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars). Decades later and living in Toronto, Daxiong confronts his own complex feelings about the hijacking. Speaking with “Mr. White,” the only hijacker to escape China, Daxiong brings that fateful night to life through comic-style illustrations, giving the misunderstood rebels the superhero treatment through animated sequences inspired by his art. Some viewers may associate Falun Gong with their controversial outreach organizations—The Epoch Times and Shen Yun—but the documentary’s focus is not on Falun Gong as an organization. Instead, ETERNAL SPRING asserts the bravery and ingenuity of the individual hijackers and the hardships they endured while fighting for freedom against an oppressive state. —D.O.

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