The Significance of Independent Documentary—A Discussion of In Search of Lin Zhao’s Soul

In a society transitioning from a totalitarian regime to a post-totalitarian one, China’s independent documentary films are the results of interwoven conscious and unconscious social behaviors. These films focus on the minorities, the avant-garde, the environment, and history; they have become a way to protect civil rights.



About the Documentary
In Search of Lin Zhao’s Soul
Directed by: Hu Jie
Lin Zhao, a talented, clever, and courageous student at Peking University, was imprisoned for many years because of her thoughts. She died in prison. Rumors said she was secretly shot to death, and that she pleaded not guilty till the very end. She left hundreds of thousands of words on the prison cell wall and her underclothes, with a hairpin and her own blood. The depth and independence of her thoughts surprised many. Hu Jie, the director, spent five years to piece together Lin’s life. The documentary astounded China.