(Clearwisdom.net) The inaugural Shenzhou International Film Festival was held at the Landmark E Street Cinema on July 15, 2007, in Washington DC, celebrated by a host of congratulatory letters from congressmen, senators and officials from non-governmental organizations.
The films "Hope," "Plum Blossom in Winter," "Chinese Prison in Manhattan," "Human Organ Supermarket," "Shake the World" and "Good against Evil" depicted various aspects of the persecution faced by Falun Gong. Several directors and actors in attendance remarked that the films could only give a glimpse of the true horrors of the persecution in China. Nevertheless, many viewers were moved to tears by what they saw.
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A member of the audience from Tibet said after watching the film "Shake the World," "What I saw really moved me. I was gripped by strong emotion in my heart and I cried."
Mr. and Mrs. Cabatu are frequent visitors to this cinema. After watching the first film "Shake the World," the couple said they were "very moved." They were shocked that the persecution portrayed in the film could actually be happening. "We need more films like this," they said.
John Springs watched the film and said he was moved by the compassion of Falun Gong practitioners. He mentioned a detail in the film when main character Ms. Ding Yan was tortured and in great pain, but was still thinking about others' safety. He said that he could feel the power of compassion from Falun Gong practitioners and believed that this was the reason why Falun Gong continues to flourish around the world despite being persecuted for many years in China.
The second film "Good Against Evil," a production of Shenzhou Film Studio, received much praise from the audience. The film was a story of three friends and two couples, and how they reacted to the persecution of Falun Gong. The film exposes atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party in its attempts to destroy Falun Gong practitioners' faith. They use all imaginable means to pressure and torture practitioners, even going so far as to use them as a living organ bank. The film portrays a battle between good and evil in terms of how the persecution affects people from various walks of life.
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The lead actor in "Good Against Evil," Jiang Guangyu, said that the film depicts the struggle between good and evil, but the main theme is about the Falun Gong practitioners' compassion and persistence.
Swiss director Elefteria Kalogritsa brought his film "Plum Blossom in Winter" to the film festival and won the festival's most prestigious award. The documentary chronicled the life of Ms. Dai Zhizhen, a Falun Gong practitioner, and her daughter Chen Fadu. Ms. Dai's husband Chen Chengyong appealed to the Chinese government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in 2001. He was illegally arrested and subsequently tortured to death. Ms. Dai and Fadu have since traveled the world, spanning 40 countries, to expose the atrocities.
Mike Horowitz, Director of the Hudson Institute's Project for Civil Justice Reform and Project for International Religious Liberty, said that he wanted to thank Ms. Dai and her daughter for their efforts and expressed his wish for a speedy end to the persecution.
Congressman Chris Van Hollen wrote a letter to the festival to wish it success.
Senator Paul Strauss said that Washington DC is an ideal place for such a film festival and that he looked forward to more in the future.
Founder and CEO of China Support Network, John Kusumi, wrote in his congratulatory letter about the importance of the issues being address in the film festival. He said that the China Support Network is working to help more people around the world see the crimes of Communism, and the film festival is an important factor in making that happen.
Actors and NGOs from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and other countries also sent letters supporting and congratulating the film festival.
The Shenzhou Film Festival was a public service event organized by the Shenzhou Film Studio of America. The goal of the festival was to expose the crimes committed by the CCP, oppose the persecution being carried out in China, and detail important social issues in China.
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