MELBOURNE, Australia–The award-winning documentary “Eternal Spring” premiered in Australia on July 20 at Cinema Nova in Melbourne.
“Eternal Spring” hosted by Melbourne Documentary Film Festival at a near-sold-out crowd.
Meanwhile, adherents from the spiritual practice depicted in the film held a large-scale candle-light vigil marking 23 years since the start of the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of their faith.
Practitioners of Falun Gong in China have endured widespread persecution since 1999, and events are held globally on July 20 to raise awareness.
Using the courage and bravery of their subjects as inspiration, this Canadian documentary blends animation with interviews and tells the story of an individual who stands up against oppression.
According to the movie’s synopsis a group of Falun Gong practitioners attempted to take over a television station in Changchun to broadcast propaganda. The program was called “Eternal Spring”.
Jason Loftus is the director of this film. Daxiong created the movie’s animations. Daxiong is well-known for his Star Wars and DC comics work.
Loftus stated that he wanted people to be able to relate to an issue related to human rights.
” When it comes to human right issues, people can get overwhelmed if they only hear facts about suffering and suchlike,” he said to The Epoch Times.
“People want to learn, they want information, but also to have fun. .”
Story of Courage Against the Odds
Jailjacking TV stations in communist China for a fake narrative was a risky move that could have serious consequences for those involved. This act can still lead to imprisonment or torture.
Compelled by a desire to inform people of the truth of Falun Gong–amidst a wave of misinformation and disinformation–these characters defied the odds and successfully achieve their mission.
However, their fate after-mission highlights how devastating it is to counter the CCP narrative.
George Mavroyeni, an award-winning video producer and 40-year veteran in the television and corporate industry, said he thought the Falun Gong practitioners depicted in the film were “very brave.”
“They are not just determined but they also see their life going nowhere and feel they have to let go of their freedom,” Mavroyeni explained to The Epoch Times.
Currently Falun Gong practitioners are under widespread surveillance. Freedom House says they continue to be subject to arbitrary detentions, torture and other extrajudicial killings.
” We have to ask our government to stand up for those who are being suppressed in China, and we’ve found that many people here don’t realize that these people are under siege,” Mavroyeni stated.
” If the mainstream media don’t expose it, then I believe our mainstream media are complicit with Chinese mainstream media .”
In a panel discussion that was hosted by film critic Peter Kraus from the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, Loftus said one of the main issues with the 23-year-long persecution is that people develop “compassion fatigue.”