Hooligan Sparrow

We sometimes take for granted the strides that have been made for women’s rights in this country. In China, however, things are different. For example, a man who rapes a young girl can get a life sentence; but if he claims to have given her money, the sentence becomes much more lenient. HOOLIGAN SPARROW follows brave Chinese activist Ye Haiyan (a.k.a. Hooligan Sparrow) as she fights to bring proper justice to an elementary school principal who raped and sold six of his students for government favors. Director Nanfu Wang becomes a target herself as she chronicles the lengths to which the Chinese government will go to suppress Sparrow and her fellow activists. Dodging gangs of government-paid thugs, spies within their ranks, crooked police, and a constant barrage of harassment from all angles, this film gives the audience a first-hand look at how fiercely China works to control its citizens—and the courageous fighters who face imprisonment trying to break free. Infuriating and shocking, HOOLIGAN SPARROW is a harrowing reminder that, without heroes, there is no hope. (In English and Chinese with subtitles) –T.W.