(Minghui.org) The documentary State Organs, Unmasking Transplant Abuse in China, premiered at the Village East by Angelika Cinema in Manhattan, New York on November 9, 2024. Many viewers expressed shock upon learning about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience.
Kevin Dious, chief of staff to Reddit’s CEO, said that it was “tragic and sad” to learn about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. He said it’s troubling that such things can still happen and be hidden in this day and age, given modern technology and media.
“We have to tell these stories and the people need to know,” Kevin said. “And this is the power of film, that you can reach people in ways I guess the general media cannot.”
From left to right: moderator Roman Balmakov, film director Raymond Zhang, and Dr. Wang Zhiyuan, president of the World Organization for Investigating the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), joined the discussion after the screening in the Village East by Angelika Cinema in Manhattan, New York on November 9, 2024.
Lynne Dilorenzo said of the film, “Everyone needs to know what’s going on.”
Lynne Dilorenzo, a business owner, was moved to tears by the documentary. She said she was particularly moved by the story of a teacher who was tortured and sexually abused in prison before doctors took her organs.
She said she felt very heavy, but she was grateful to those who had the courage and risked their lives to make this public. “Everyone needs to realize what’s going on, because it is a genocide, and we all need to bring it to light and put a stop to it,” she said.
Lynne’s friend, singer Mika Hale, praised the film for exposing the persecution and also for showing the resilience of the victims and bringing hope to the audience. She said, “My heart is very heavy, but I think it’s extremely important to spread the truth. Even if the reality is cruel, people still have the courage to reveal the truth, which requires facing great risks, and this also inspires us.”
Mika said that she was pleased to see the truth being spread more widely, allowing people to understand and witness how this large-scale persecution has affected countless Chinese people and the international community.
One Day the CCP Will Collapse
Nabil Hamati is interviewed after watching the film.
Nabil Hamati, a Brooklyn resident who works in the medical field, said his feeling was beyond words. The film mentioned that young doctors were forced to harvest organs from living people right after graduation, which was hard for him to imagine. “Just like the man sitting on the sofa, he had to remove people’s eyeballs or watch others harvest kidneys from living people right after he graduated,” he said. “I hope this will not happen in the United States.”
The film also revealed the moving stories of the victims’ families in China who work tirelessly to find their missing relatives. This touched Nabil. “Although it is almost impossible, the love for family will never fade,” he said. “Even after 19 years, the old father passed away, he never gave up [seeking justice for] his children. This is a sad experience that you don’t want to happen to anyone.”
Nabil said that it is very important to know about the persecution in China. “We should cherish the freedom and rights we enjoy in the United States more, and at the same time try our best to help organizations like the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong to expose these atrocities,” he said. “I hope that one day communism will become a thing of the past.” He added that this requires the joint efforts of many people, and as we see today, it is really difficult for one person to fight against an entire corrupt government. “Therefore, it is necessary to spread the truth and gather the power of everyone to help change the future,” Nabil affirmed.
Nabil’s sister Maya Hamati is a college student. She said that the film is educational and reveals an important topic, reminding us to think further about these issues. She said this was extremely important because “in history [the Holocaust of the Jews], although people said ‘Never again,’ similar tragedies are still happening in the world.”
The Bottom Line of Human Morality
The film’ s director Raymond Zhang and Dr. Wang Zhiyuan, president of the WOIPFG, attended the screening. In an interview, Wang Zhiyuan pointed out that the film reveals the CCP’s crime of live organ harvesting that has been going on since 1999, and called it an unprecedented evil.
He said that although the issue was exposed in 2006, the public still does not know enough about it. Dr. Wang emphasized that this crime against humanity undermines the moral bottom line of humankind and as such, it is closely related to everyone. He called on the public to actively spread the truth and work together to stop this persecution. He said the film shows the core values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance through real stories, bringing hope and strength to people.
After the screening, the film’s director, Peabody Award winner Raymond Zhang, answered questions from the audience. He talked about the bomb threats that several theaters in Taiwan received in October when they showed the film.
In a statement released on October 9, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau said the bomb threats were sent from overseas IP addresses through VPN proxies. The bureau said no explosive devices were found in any theaters and called on the public to remain calm.
Raymond told The Epoch Times that he was born in China and still loves that land. He said his biggest hope is that people there can live safely.
For decades, China has been one of the most attractive destinations for organ transplant tourists, as Chinese hospitals often offer unusually short waiting times for organ matches. This phenomenon is possible because the CCP treats prisoners, mainly prisoners of conscience arrested for their beliefs, as a living organ bank.
In 2020, the London-based independent People’s Tribunal issued a full verdict after an 18-month investigation. The tribunal found that beyond reasonable doubt, the Chinese regime has forcibly harvested organs from prisoners of conscience for many years, with the main victims being Falun Gong practitioners.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Falun Gong practitioners have been brutally persecuted in China since 1999.
Film Screenings:
State Organs will also be screened in Manhattan, New York for one week from November 15 to 21, with five shows a day.
Time: 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm, and 9 pmVenue: Cinema VillageAddress: 22 E. 12th St., New York, NY 10003
Ticket website: https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/state-organs-unmasking-transplant-abuse-in-china.html?d=20241115
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Category: Organ Harvesting
