The very structure of every government allows folks with poorly- developed consciences to dictate or control the entire matrix of social relationships, as far as the law is concerned. It doesn't matter how good your intentions are, because the mingling of most human lawyers with the rare human passion for civil liberties can lead to either a disgusting or a delicious result in a movie. So what is a filmmaker, an attorney, or a sex-worker to do if they want to get laws changed, captives freed, and oppression stopped?Anyone (including attorneys) getting involved (as hopeful saviors) amid corruption can be dangerous. And attorneys don't represent an impartial legal structure; they use the law and courts to try to redress grievances when moral sanity has been broken, when kindness and compassion have been shattered by horrifying crimes against humanity. Such crimes are worthy subjects in many films, whether fictional accounts based in the truth of wars, or more straight- forward documentaries, because people need to hear from journalists and other storytellers. This is one of those stories--a very important slice of life and death in a specific nation.

This documentary is gritty in portraying the relentless, sometimes seemingly hopeless, perseverance of human rights advocates (both lay persons and lawyers)in the face of a totalitarian government and society that are still, at their roots, feudalistic. The dangers faced by all the persons in this film, not the least of which danger is risked by the filmmaker herself, cannot be underestimated by the Western viewer. Questioning the system places one outside the system for all intents and purposes; filming it places the filmmaker in a possibly more precarious position. Watching this film is not easy, but it is necessary in order to understand the hardships endured by those incredibly brave few persons who risk life and limb for the cause of justice in China.

Believe every good thing you read about this movie. I saw it at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. You must have a little courage yourself just to watch it. It will both haunt and inspire you. The protagonist, Sparrow, is brash and creative in exposing injustices done to women and sexual abuse of young girls. The sacrifice of these girls to curry favor with government officials is nauseating, but unfortunately true and apparently widespread. The story is not only about Sparrow and her fight for human rights, but also about the film maker, who was herself in danger. The most compelling aspect of the story is that it is now, it is current, it is all still going on. You can help.

Director Nanfu Wang took risks to film the human rights abuse in China, smuggled the footage out, and produced this documentary. Ye Haiyan, the protagonist of this film, is an ordinary yet unordinary Chinese woman. She came from the rural area, but refused to go on a usual road. She knew that a lot of women who share similar background with her choose to be sex workers out of poverty and despair. For a long time, her activism was centered on sex workers' rights. But in the early summer of 2013, there was a case about a principle raping several underage girls. Ye was furious, and she decided to do something to prevent things like this from happening again in China. However, the road was full of unpleasant surprises and dangers.Due to China's increasing economic clout, we are losing sight of what terrible things are happening in China. This documentary is a must-see, and this will be the first step of change.