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    FILM & VIDEO

    Petition by Zhao Liang

    Petition by Zhao Liang

    Presented by Harvard Film Archive at Harvard Film Archive

    February 1, 2010

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    Director Zhao Liang in Person The dysfunctional Chinese court system allows citizens with grievances against their local governments to petition the court to clear or correct their record. Yet in order to do so, the petitioners must travel to Beijing to file paperwork and wait an indefinite period to plead their case. The vast majority of petitioners are impoverished villagers who travel far to the capital and typically end up waiting desperately in decrepit shantytowns for their cases to be settled, often pressured by hired thugs to return home. Following the saga of a group of petitioners over the years of 1996 and 2008, Petition unfolds like a novel by Zola or Dickens. Unwilling to accept defeat and seemingly unable to do anything but wait, the petitioners enter a strange and often terrifying zone, gradually losing touch with family and friends back home and with the cruel reality of their situation. Directed by Zhao Liang. China 2009, video, color, 120 min. Mandarin with English subtitles


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        Harvard Film Archive

        Harvard Film Archive Cinematheque
        24 Quincy Street
        Cambridge, MA 02138

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        Tickets: $12

      • Dates & Times

        Dates:
        February 1, 2010

        Times:
        7pm

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