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IMGXYZ1022IMGZYXChina's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s was an upheaval of society that led to the maiming and deaths of millions. In August of 1966, in a grab for power, the CCP led by Mao Zedong called on the proletariat to purge China of the capitalist and academic bourgeoisie that were "still trying to use the old ideas, culture, customs, and habits of the exploiting classes to corrupt the masses, capture their minds, and endeavor to stage a comeback." This call to arms emboldened students in Beijing and the Red Guard to begin beating and killing faculty in many schools.
The first female educator in Beijing to become a victim of this ideological campaign was Bian Zhongyun. The documentary film Though I am Gone tells the story of Bian through the personal account of her husband, Wang Jingyao, and his vivid memories and photographs. The gripping piece was created by independent film maker Hu Jie, who was invited by Carnegie to screen his documentary.
Minxin Pei called Hu a "rare creature in China" -- an independent documentary film maker. A long-time artist who used to create movies about the lives of ordinary people in China, Hu began focusing on the Cultural Revolution after he heard the story of a college student who had been executed by the government. Moreover, 2008 is the 42nd anniversary of the ordeal, and fewer victims and their immediate family are living to stand witness.
Question & Answer:
After the screening, Hu was asked if students in China are interested in this film. Hu revealed that the reception has been mosdest because most young people do not learn about the Cultural Revolution. Among Chinese scholars, few even study the Cultural Revolution. Many in China accuse him of fabricating history, as evidenced by comments left on internet websites that stream his documentary. In addition, Hu said that there are few places in China like the Carnegie Endowment where he can showcase his movie, so he spreads it primarily via his friends, who in turn pass the DVD along to others.
When asked if it was unusual for communists like the Bian family to be victims of the Cultural Revolution’s Red Guard, Hu pointed out that , “The Cultural Revolution was crazy,” and Mao started by purging those closest to himself.