Beijing Spring

Reminiscent of what is happening in Hong Kong today, this is a story about underground film-making, radical art, and censorship. At Democracy Wall in Beijing in 1978, The “Stars”, a group of self-taught artists (including a young Ai Weiwei) challenged propaganda art by showing their new art that championed individuality and free expression, often exposing the inhumanity of the Cultural Revolution. Meanwhile, editor and essayist Wei Jingsheng posted his essays calling for democracy. Further provoked by the Stars exhibits and protest demonstrations, the authorities cracked down, closing Democracy Wall, imprisoning many, and slamming the door on this brief period of reform. Recording it all was a daring young filmmaker named Chi Xiaoning. Hidden for decades, Chi’s footage of these exciting times will now be featured in Beijing Spring for the first time ever.