“A resounding success…an ultra-compelling, suspense-filled investigation.”
— Fanny Vaury,
“A breathtaking story of a struggle for freedom.”
“Extraordinary…the animation is some of the very best we have ever seen in documentary film.”
— Grand Jury Documentary Award, Movies That Matter
“Ingenious…Eternal Spring artfully articulates a people’s hunger for change.”
— Pat Mullen,
“Powerful…a work of great beauty, both visually and narratively.”
— Jorge Espinoza Lasso,
“Gorgeous…splendidly communicates the incredible bravery of the people involved.”
— Ricardo Gallegos,
ABOUT THE FILM
LOGLINE
Confronted with government denunciations and human rights violations against their spiritual practice, a group of Chinese activists executes a bold and perilous plan to hack into state television.
LONG SYNOPSIS
In March 2002, a state TV station in China was hijacked by members of outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong. Their goal was to counter the government narrative about their practice. In the aftermath, police raids sweep Changchun City, and comic book illustrator Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars), a Falun Gong practitioner, is forced to flee.
He arrives in North America, blaming the hijacking for worsening a violent repression. But his views are challenged when he meets the lone surviving participant to have escaped China, now living in Seoul, South Korea. Combining present-day footage with 3D animation inspired by Daxiong’s art, ETERNAL SPRING retraces the event on its 20th anniversary, and brings to life an unprecedented story of defiance, harrowing eyewitness accounts of persecution, and an exhilarating tale of determination to speak up for political and religious freedoms, no matter the cost.
Director Jason Loftus
Writers Jason Loftus, Yvan Pinard, Kevin Koo
Producer Jason Loftus
Executive Producer Masha Loftus
Editor David Schmidt
Director of Photography John Tran, csc
Animation Director David St-Amant
Music Tom Hill
Featuring Daxiong, Jin Xuezhe, Lan Lihua, Wang Jianmin, Zhang Zhongyu, Wang Liansu, Wang Huilian
FESTIVALS
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (World Premiere), Hot Docs
AWARDS
Fischer Audience Award, Hellenic Parliament Human Values Award (Thessaloniki); Grand Jury Prize Award Special Mention, Activist Award Nominee, Student’s Choice Award Nominee (Movies That Matter), Hot Docs Audience Award, Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary (Hot Docs), Audience Award (Dances with Films), Best Documentary Feature (deadCenter), Documentary Jury Award (Lighthouse International), Documentary Audience Award (Lighthouse International), Jury Award Best International Documentary Feature (Mammoth Lakes), Audience Award Best International Documentary Feature (Mammoth Lakes)
AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World
EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download
PRESS KIT
Download Press Kit
AVAILABLE PRESS IMAGES (click to preview)
