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- 2022
- ARTE
- 1 h 26 m
- 2022
- ARTE
- 1 h 26 m
Summary 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, a Falun Gong practitioner, is forced to flee. He arrives in North Amer...
Directed By: Jason Loftus
Written By: Jason Loftus
- 2022
- ARTE
- 1 h 26 m
- 2022
- ARTE
- 1 h 26 m
Eternal Spring
71
8.0
Summary 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, a Falun Gong practitioner, is forced to flee. He arrives in North Amer...
Directed By: Jason Loftus
Written By: Jason Loftus
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
71
80% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
10% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
10% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
71
80% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
10% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
10% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
From the very first scenes of the Canadian documentary Eternal Spring, you’re thrust into a thrilling, all-consuming film that challenges traditional documentary tropes and finds a way to tell a winding, difficult story with brilliant ease.
Featuring vivid animation inspired by Daxiong’s drawings, the film is somber and hushed, able to stir emotions without resorting to manipulative tricks.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 18 User Ratings
8.0
72% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
17% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
11% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 18 User Ratings
8.0
72% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
17% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
11% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Undeniably, Eternal Spring has a heavy topic yet it delivers the true definition of "power of faith". Hats off to all the practitioners of Falun Gong portrayed in the film. I'm deeply moved and inspired as well. I watched it right before Thanksgiving and it had me reflected on the traditional values of America. Our Constitution endorse freedom of religious belief because it ties back to the "Mayflower Compact". Living in a free society is a blessing and hopefully we can continue to appreciate that. Meanwhile, something needs to be done to the Chinese Communist Government, a real tyranny in our time, and real threat to the rest of the world.
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Everything is just heartbreaking, seeing how much the CCP hates a religious group is getting me frustrated, I did some research, more than 80% of all bad reviews on this movie are CCP hired dudes, I know because they tried that on me too.
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Distinctively incisive on an emotional level, the film applauds the bravery of its participants to relive a painful shared trauma and create a permanent testament of what they endured.
Gorgeously animated in 3D in Daxiong's signature, hyperdetailed/hyperstylized artwork, Eternal Spring is a chronicle of dissidence, and Daxiong's attempts to come to terms with how the movement got to this point of non-violent resistance - an act with which he disagreed because of the backlash.
Through Daxiong’s vivid and realistic drawings, rendered into mid-grade animation in assistance of a gripping story, we get to know not only persecuted Falun Gong survivors, but those who perished opposing the one-party dictatorship.
While the animation gives the documentary some distinction, the narrative can’t entirely shake the sense that this momentous but brief episode is scaled more for a short than a feature.
The story of Eternal Spring deserves to be told — but Loftus’ film falls victim to the kind of insidious propaganda members of Falun Gong once tried to fight.
This is one of the best movies I watched in recent years. I believe that art is not only for entertainment, but also, more importantly, for exploration of the truth of human nature, love, honor, pity, pride, dignity, freedom, and human conscience. What does freedom mean? Why must we human beings respect each other? How to tell right from wrong? Why is Chinese Communist Party is the most heinous evil in human history? Watch the movie, and it may help you gain your answer, and know more clearly about your true self.
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Words can't describe the strong emotions I felt after watching this remarkable film.
The courage and goodness of the main characters is incredible. The way it was recreated through animation in some parts, then combined with real life interviews kept the pace fast & engaging all the way through.
Sometimes retelling true stories can hard to show well in images. Usually I prefer to read books than watch films as I can then imagine for myself what it would look like. But this storytelling style was unique.
I couldn't fault it at all.
Thrilling action of courage & deeply touching!
They are the true heroes of modern China.
I hope more can watch it.
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Touching my heart.
This persecution has lasted for more than twenty years and is still going on.
It's interesting to see the CCP's spies attacking this good movie.
This movie uses 3D to restore the scene at that time, which has an immersive feeling.
Then the way of interview can better understand the mood of the parties involved.
It's a pity that the persecution is not over yet, so it can't be go to the field to take more video.
It is also because the persecution has not yet ended, and more things cannot be revealed.
Hope that in the near future, more truths will be revealed.
Hope the persecution will end soon!
Report
People, we need to understand what is the most important thing for humanity nowadays. It is not political stance, social class or ideology difference. It is to come back to our common nature that connects with the great source of Creator, so that we can together overcome any difficulty to enter the renewed world.
Eternal Spring is a movie that reminds us of this fundamental connection by restoring a real story which happened 20 years ago in China. Watch those people's choice in an extremely desperate situation and then you will realise how smart, brave and wonderful those Falun Gong practitioners are.
True heroes never get forgotten by history, or temporarily only.
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Production Company
Lofty Sky Pictures,
Téléfilm Canada
Release Date Oct 14, 2022
Duration 1 h 26 m
Genres
Awards
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
• 3 Nominations
Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
