10 Jan 2011: e360 Video
The Warriors of Qiugang:
A Chinese Village Fights Back
For years, a chemical plant in the Chinese village of Qiugang had polluted the river, poisoned the drinking water, and fouled the air — until residents decided to take a stand. The Warriors of Qiugang, a Yale Environment 360 video co-produced by Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon, tells the story of the villagers’ determined efforts to stop the pollution.
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The Warriors of Qiugang, a Yale Environment 360 video that chronicles the story of a Chinese village’s fight against a polluting chemical plant, was nominated for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Watch the video.
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COMMENTS Let a hundred flowers bloom... and keep on blooming.
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I haven't watched this whole film but i already fear for these people filmed.
I have seen the Warriors of Qiugang and I do live in China. I find it to be a real and informative account of life in villages in China. It is full of hope and shows how China is changing for the better though it still has a long way to go. I highly recommend this film for those interested in China.
This film is alarming, rather in a calm tone that seems keeping its passion within so the viewers think. It reminds me of the fact that all those products made in China that we can buy so easily recent years are made with a huge sacrifice of the Chinese in their life threatening environment. When we shop, seeing almost all the stuff in the shop made in China, I hear somebody complain "they killed it (the American industries.) But who is the real killer?
I question the material world where things are so convenient and cheep. But we never should forget about the environment !!
This documentary brings out an awareness of the seriousness of the environmental problems China faces today. It also reveals a glympse of hope for improvement. The topic is unquestionably timely, and the production is superb. Ruby Yang's artistic prowess is amply evident throughout the film.
I'm glad someone cares about the people and their precious environment and what it can do to their health and not just in commercial terms. I'm looking forward watching this film.
I was glued to the film until the very end, hoping - praying - that the villagers would be triumphant. It's a David and goliath story but at the same time, it's hard not to think that the damage has already been done. The chemical residue is there to stay even if the factory isn't. What a film such as this shows to the world is a few things:
1. Environmental issues are everywhere.
2. Even people in China are passionate about the environment.
3. The media is a powerful medium.
One of the scenes that really struck me was a silent little girl in the background clutching onto a toy. It saddened me that this chemical waste (what is left of it) is her future. But at the same time, I wondered if she would take a stand on the environment and make a difference too some day.
Louise
I'm a Chinese student.
I think it is one of many many similar things in my homeland. We all know it is important to develop the economic.However,it is also important to protect the environment.
Now, CPC controls the pubilc opinion.So,very few of people in China could see the film. I hope more and more students like me should try our best to build a better world.
Kudos to the brave villagers of Qiugang. Nobody should have to be subjected to living conditions like that. The villagers' action sent a very clear message to those callous polluters and their corrupt government cronies that their activities will no longer be tolerated. People buying Chinese goods should ask themselves where these goods are coming from.
I am glad that there are good folk willing to fight the corporates that pollute in the name of industrial change. Yes economically China must grow, but the price of growth must be INLINE with HER SURROUNDINGS. This short film demonstrates a real battle of the price you pay as you modernise. Thankfully the villagers won their case and continue their worthy cause. A big KUDOS to them all.
I worry about their safety - will Yale 360 follow up with the villagers to make sure that they are safe after the film is released? How about a year later? Who knows what will happen if they are "made an example of"?
Great documentary. Am brazilian and here we have a enviromental problem too, our goverment want to build a hydroelectric plant in the Amazon, it is called Belo Monte, and it will destroy a Indian reservation, the local enviroment and ther is many problems. The indians, called xingu, need help to show their problems. if you, look for information about it. thank you
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds"
- Samuel Adams
Beautiful report. But no chances that an ecological crunch leads to a Chinese Chernobyl and changes the centralised system as Chernobyl did in Russia.
OMG i saw that film and worry about the reality. the men like them can really fight well and finally survive.
It has been almost thirty years since I was last in China. Even then, it seemed like a year in Beijing was like ten in Vermont. My heart aches for the people in this film who fight a losing battle against a world gone mad with consumption.
May the people who own and manage this chemical plant live in the horrors they create.
“Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.” Tao Te Ching
I was holding my breath to finish the film, and so relief to see Zhang and his fellow villagers were safe, compared other people in the similar situation, who were killed by the local gangs sponsored maybe by the local government.
This saddens us all to learn that people living in that polluted village are forced upon the fact that they have to wake up every morning...to face the stinky air..and polluted water. Let us treasure what we have now and try to help them.
This story has many facets that clearly demonstrates how everyday people are continuously kept in containment. To China this is one of her 'shames' and needs to be addressed. Also are we not hypocritical as we continuously feed these corporations?
Sad stories like this happen everyday in today's China. Severe pollution is everywhere even in big cities. I wished to get rid of this situation but all I did is choosing to leave the country after suffering pulmonary disease year after year.
I live in China, and have lived here for 10 years. I live down south in Guangzhou, and yes, pollution is a problem no matter where you go. Injustices like this go unnoticed and ignored by the government every day.
Greed drives every nation.
The trailer is very interesting. I look forward to watching the whole film when it is back online.
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