An Unexpected SOS: Letter From Masanjia At Settle Stories
Steve Whitaker, Literary Correspondent
Sun Yi
In a climate of state control, whistle-blowing is ad hoc, irregular, and often conditional on good luck or coincidence. The coming to light of the cruel circumstances of Sun Yi’s life depended entirely on the discovery of an SOS note attached to some Chinese-made Halloween decorations, which were opened by Julie Keith at an Oregon KMart store, and which detailed a series of systematic abuses perpetrated by the authorities in China’s notorious Masanjia labour camp.
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His story is taken up by Peabody-winning Canadian filmmaker Leon Lee, who is not welcome in his native country owing to his earlier involvement in films about China’s human rights abuses. In the renowned documentary, Letter from Masanjia, he teaches Sun Yi to use camera equipment via Skype.
For over a year, Sun Yi secretly captures harrowing footage of his daily life as a human rights defender, leading up to his fleeing from the Chinese authorities. Meanwhile, just outside Portland, Oregon, Julie Keith is struggling with her own dilemmas as a mother newly embroiled in the cause. Together, these unlikely heroes expose China’s ongoing persecution of millions of people whose ideology differs from its own.
Described as ‘a potent documentary’ by the New York Times, and ‘an amazing film’ by the Los Angeles Times, the film will receive a rare showing as the first feature of Settle Stories’ brand new Lazy Sunday Afternoon Film Club season on the 24th February. The documentary will be followed by a livestreamed Q & A with director Leon Lee.
Letter from Masanjia at Settle Stories, The Joinery, Settle.
Sunday 24th February – 2pm.
Booking information: http://www.settlestories.org.uk/letterfrommasanjia
An Unexpected SOS: Letter From Masanjia At Settle Stories, 10th February 2019, 13:29 PM