Insane: The Price of Speaking Out in China

In China, speaking truth to power has never been easy. But now, a disturbing trend: whistleblowers, dissidents, and ordinary people seeking justice declared mentally ill, hospitalized, then medicated against their will and often beaten. Victims say it is a way for Chinese officials to silence dissidents.

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• Insane: The Price of Speaking Out in China
  

Reds Go Green (2009)

Meet the F3 the electric-powered car of the future made in China. Keen to reduce its choking emissions and limit its dependence on oil, China is spearheading new clean energy technologies.

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• Reds Go Green - China
  

Demolition Dissidents (2009)

Economic development and the 2008 Olympics gave Beijing an amazing facelift. But when many Beijing residents were forced to evict their homes they were left struggling and angry at the political system.

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The Passion of the Mao (2006)

Part mockumentary but motivated by true events - this liberal, stream of consciousness telling of Mao's life is hilarious...and would be frowned on by billions of Chinese. Worth watching - especially for Chinese history buffs. Sprinkled with animation - this is Mao as you've never seen him.

The director brings a tremendous amount of rich primary source material to the screen with an original and entertaining perspective, uncovering the relationship between Mao's political and policy acheivements with Mao's colorful life story, marked by some of his comedically bizarre traits.

China History Documentary

The Search for Modern China

The difficulty of finding a complete, one-volume history of China is no longer a problem with publication of this work, which covers Chinese history from the 16th-century Ming Dynasty to the 1989 "China Spring" demonstrations. The 200+ photographs and illustrations, many in color and previously unpublished, include historical notes that add understanding to the art and the stories illustrated. The text is written in an informative manner that will appeal to students; their lack of knowledge of Chinese history is forstalled by the comprehensive glossary that explains phrases, people, and events. High-school teachers will bless you for buying this well-researched volume.

Spence argues that China's modernization strategies can't work unless the people are allowed to participate in political decision-making. A splendid achievement, this sweeping 1088-page epic chronicle compresses four centuries of political and social change into a sharply observant narrative. Spence offers contemporary perspectives on the British 19th-century drive to get the Chinese masses addicted to opium, Chiang Kai-Shek's secret police apparatus and proto-fascist supporters, Japan's ruthless occupation during WW II, the Mao bloodbath known as the "Cultural Revolution" and the legacy of China's bureaucratic, authoritarian Ming and Qing dynasties.

Uighur Dilemma (2009)

Ever since the violence between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese, a fear of fanaticism has taken hold. Is the government's decision to demolish the Uighur area Kashgar really due to an earthquake threat?

Kashgar is a cultural icon. Parts of the city have stood for 2000 years and within its labyrinth, Uighur traditions are unchanged. 'We live as we did in the old times' says Tursun, a 6 generation pot thrower. But times are changing. Beijing's deputy mayor has announced that destruction of the old town is the only way to prepare for an earthquake threat.

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• Uighur Dilemma - China

PBS - Frontline - Young & Restless in China (2009)

Official Website

'Young and Restless in China' is a stunning, sweeping look at a country amid a frenzied thoroughly compromised process of self-reinvention, but even a little historical context would have gone a long way in grounding the narrative journey of its subjects. Then again, utterly unrecognizable, this brave new China hardly seems grounded.

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• Young & Restless in China
  

Al Jazeera - 101 East - 60 years communist China (2009)

As China celebrates its 60th anniversary, new land reforms could bring sweeping change to the country, affecting 800 million farmers.

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Related Videos:

• The Rise of China's Economy - Sixty years after Mao Zedong's communist forces seized power, China has transformed from an economic backwater into an economic superpower.
• China's Long March - China is preparing to mark 60 years of communist rule, with a lavish military parade in Beijing and celebrations across the country.
• China shows its military might - celebrating 60 years since its founding with a mammoth display of national pride and ceremonial pomp.
• Counting the Cost - China's Economic March - As China flexes its military muscle in celebration of the 60th anniversary of its communist revolution, Counting the Cost looks at the economic revolution that has accompanied it.