(Germany/2023—directed by Jialing Zhang)  

For decades, China has been monitoring its citizens using high-tech security and surveillance. In this fascinating documentary, Jialing Zhang (co-director of One Child Nation) immerses us in the daily reality of half a billion cameras pointed at people as they go about their daily lives, invasive neighborhood watch programs, employees monitored for stress levels, and a ”social credit” point system that has rewards for community service and penalties for societal infractions.

With the assistance of dozens of anonymous locals, Zhang focuses on three courageous women fighting for civil liberties and justice. This is a bracing portrait of a society for whom privacy is all but extinct, and a warning for democracies using surveillance in unprecedented ways. 

In Mandarin with English subtitles. (97 min.) 

“Absolutely vital. Remarkably balanced and journalistically sophisticated.” —Jason Gorber, POV Magazine