Author: Yifan Xia
The male lead-actor died on his wedding day at the police station…leaving behind his lonely young bride dressed in snow-white wedding gown…
Main Actress: Fa Zi (acted as Jing Yuan)
On July 18 “Forever,” a movie production by Tokyo-Chinese, was the opening film at the Third Shen Zhou International Film Festival. The story occurred in a tranquil music, from beginning to the end. The heavenly music echoed deeply into my soul. It allowed me to feel the destiny of the characters in the movie. “Forever” has resonance in my heart and soul.
Perhaps, only such music can comfort the innermost feelings which enables me to be aware of the meaning of “duty-bound and no turning back,” to realize that faith empowers with strength. Still perhaps, this music brings me sobriety even when tears streamed down my face. Through the characters’ faith in “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance” and traditional Chinese values, the film presents from multiple layers and perspectives a realistic view of the spirituality of the group represented by the lead character.
“Forever” is a eulogy about faith, based on the tragic realities of most Chinese families under the Communist Party’s despotism. These tragedies are so common that most families have these experiences of some degrees. Amongst these common experiences, the director has uncovered some unique perspectives.
For example, a scene from the movie shows a mother urging her daughter to break up with her fiancé, who practices Falun Gong. The mother told her daughter Jin Yuan that even though she did not believe the television’s rumor about Falun Gong, she understood those propaganda expressed the government’s position regarding Falun Gong. This scene is a concrete example of Chinese citizens living under the lies told by the Communist Party. Fearing imminent disaster on themselves, most Chinese could only try to guess what the Communist Party is trying to achieve or whom the party is targeting with their rumors.
The Chinese people have only learned to read the Communist Party’s rumors after paying a hefty price of losing their youth and countless lives. For example in the 1950s, rumors of landlords exploiting farmers led to the killing of tens of thousands of landlords; in 1957 the rumor of intellectuals questioning and attacking the Chinese Communist Party resulted in more than a million Chinese elites being black-listed and tortured; in 1959 the rumor of “natural disaster”, resulted in death of 40 million to starvation. During the Great Cultural Revolution the rumor of Liu Shaoqi being “the rebel, the traitor, the scab”, resulted in another cleansing within the party and the violent death of several millions of innocent lives. These sacrifices are warnings for all people: While one may pay no attention to many things, one cannot afford to ignore and underestimate the evil doings of Chinese Communist Party.
I sincerely thank the director and the actors. They have used artistic expressions so those who have been spared the tragedy of the Cultural Revolution, particularly the younger Chinese generation, could see the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party.
In the movie, the leading actor died in Chinese prison and his fiancee fled her hometown. The story and its ending is still happening around us. It is no doubt a blessing for an individual to be able to live a free life away from persecution. It is a tragedy, nevertheless for our country, our relatives and friends still living there….
This is where the faithful cannot survive;
This is the barren land of civilization;
This is the hometown of political refugees;
This is where the human spirit can no longer live. Only by giving up these beautiful scenery, only by leaving families and friends can one safeguard both one’s life and religious belief.
Will we lose our motherland? Will we become a race that had lost our “motherland?” I dare not think or look, for there is no signs despotism is coming to an end. The land is still filled with tears and blood …