Letter from Masanjia | Movie | Official Website

“A potent documentary”
– The New York Times

“An amazing film”
– The L.A. Times

“An astonishing sequence of events”
– BBC

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THE FILM

An Oregon woman finds an SOS message from a Chinese dissident in a package of Halloween decorations from Kmart, setting off a chain of events that would shut down the entire labor camp system in China and ignite the letter-writer’s dangerous quest to expose a deadly persecution.

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TRAILER

AWARDS & MEDIA

Top 20 Audience Choice out of 247 films – Hot Docs 2018, Toronto

“An important story, made more intense by its tight focus… well told” – Ken Jaworowski, New York Times

Silver Punt Audience Award for Best Documentary Film 2018 – Cambridge Film Festival, UK

“An astonishing sequence of events…” – Matthew Bannister, BBC Outlook

Grand Jury Prize for Best International Documentary – Doqumenta, Mexico

“A powerful tale of human suffering, compassion and perseverance” – Kevin Crust, LA Times

Audience Favourite Canadian Documentary Feature – Calgary International Film Festival, Canada

“An example of documentary at its most aspirational” – An drea Gronvall, The Chicago Reader

FAQ

What is Falun Gong?
Asian cultures have a long history of developing and practicing exercises such as Tai Chi and Qigong for health and spiritual achievement…

Why is it persecuted by the Chinese regime?
Falun Gong gained popularity quickly when it was introduced to the public in China in the early 90s. By 1998, upwards of 70 million people were practicing it in China…

How did director Leon Lee come to know the story and find Sun Yi?
During production on his previous documentary about human rights in China, director Leon Lee became interested in the story of a Chinese political prisoner who made international headlines…

How did the filmmaking process work?
Leon Lee is considered a Chinese dissident for his human rights work and would not be welcome in China to film, so Sun Yi suggested that he learn to use a camera himself…

What inspired the animation?
Sun Yi was an avid reader of traditional Chinese graphic novels from a young age, and often practiced drawing in the book margins to hone his skills…

Who is Jiang Tianyong, Sun Yi’s lawyer, and what happened to him?
Jiang Tianyong is an internationally recognized Chinese human rights lawyer who has provided legal defense for wrongly imprisoned activists, Tibetans, Christians and Falun Gong practitioners in China…

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TAKE ACTION

In the film we see the power of a letter. Now it’s your turn.

If you are in the US please write to your local senator asking them to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 220, a bipartisan resolution expressing solidarity for Falun Gong practitioners who have lost lives, freedoms, and rights for adhering to their beliefs and practices.

TAKE ACTION

If you are in Canada please write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help free Canadian Falun Gong practitioner, Sun Qian, who has been illegally detained in China for over a year and is being tortured for her beliefs.

TAKE ACTION

NEWS

Letter from Masanjia

3 hours ago

"Leaves Taiwanese audience in tears..." Read Taiwan News' emotional review of Letter from Masanjia, in theaters now in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. ...

Now in theaters: 'Letter from Masanjia... | Taiwan News

taiwannews.com.tw

The eye-opening documentary exposes human rights violations in China.In 2012, a woman in Oregon found a hidden letter inside a Halloween decoration she bought at a local store, which led her to discover a horrifying secret in China and the plight of a political dissident imprisoned in a labor camp...

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Likes: 11
Shares: 2
Comments: 1

Comment on Facebook

Good for Taiwan! This is a really great documentary!

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Letter from Masanjia

3 days ago

We're excited to announce that Letter from Masanjia has been nominated for a Rockie Award by the Banff World Media Festival! See you all on June 9-12 for the festivities and to know who won! Good luck to all the nominees. rockies.playbackonline.ca/ ...

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Likes: 23
Shares: 6
Comments: 1

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Wonderful. Thanks to all involved.

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Letter from Masanjia

3 days ago

Colorado's ACT Human Rights Film Festival has selected Letter from Masanjia for its amazing 2019 line up! On Friday April 12 at 7:30 PM, don't miss our SOS note documentary and many others throughout the fest. Dir. Leon Lee will be there. Colorado State University. actfilmfest.colostate.edu/films/ ...

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Likes: 28
Shares: 1
Comments: 2

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So exciting!

Excellent

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AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Letter from Masanjia

5.0

Manya Zhou

2019-02-20T21:27:57+0000

Tears in my eyes, thoughts in my mind. I think in this world, people who don’t know what is the real China are Chinese people living in China; but those who know the most are still Chinese people and they want to run away from their motherland...bravo à Mr Sun, un esprit tellement courageux pour combattre d’avoir la liberté! Thanks for Mr Li the director brought us such a beautiful documentary. L’esprit est immortel. R.I.P.read more

陳識文

2019-02-17T06:33:14+0000

接露發生在勞教所的邪惡

Che Rry

2019-02-08T23:33:40+0000

Truly one of the most powerful documentaries I have ever watched. An eye-opener that will move your heart. One man's tenacity in a nation ruled by communists. In a modern age where social media is used to show off being rich, famous, and beautiful..other people wish to have freedom and to stop persecution.read more

Kurt Nielsen

2018-12-08T11:16:24+0000

Human rights situation in China

ThienHa Nguyen

2018-12-08T09:42:09+0000

The courageous and endless fight for freedom and justice (y)

Huong Do Nhu

2018-11-25T08:29:19+0000

"Nếu một người phụ nữ thông qua hành động nhỏ của mình có thể làm được điều này để giải cứu hàng ngàn người vô tội, thì chuyện gì sẽ xảy ra nếu có nhiều người hơn nữa cùng đứng lên và làm như cô ấy?”read more

Crystal Chen

2018-10-12T15:38:58+0000

全世界都應該來看看，看看萬惡中共的暴行！

Peter Zheng

2018-09-14T00:54:45+0000

角逐「奧斯卡獎」最佳紀錄片

Lara Washington

2018-08-07T05:04:41+0000

A truly moving story from a voice that deserves to be heard. Masanjia shows the realities of labour camps in China which failed to break Sunyi’s spirit.read more

Mateus Arantes Fandino

2018-08-05T03:28:41+0000

Inspiring documentary, highly recommended. If you are in Vancouver this long weekend, you can see it at VIFF.

Court Reinland

2018-08-04T21:43:42+0000

Absolutely stunning, one of the best documentaries I have ever seen!

Eléonora Fallwickl

2018-07-28T23:32:23+0000

A powerful story, very well told. Sun Yi, what an incredible Human Being with such inner strength. This film really moved me. The former guards testimony were so touching, so glad Sun Yi made the interviews happen somehow. They were amazing pieces of redemption. 5 Stars!read more

Shellie Zhang

2018-07-25T03:35:15+0000

Go see this.

Sarah Daisy Kosa

2018-05-19T22:15:34+0000

Guda Zheng

2018-05-18T20:33:27+0000

Zhang Zhiyuan

2018-05-17T23:30:14+0000

Little Woo

2018-05-06T22:10:32+0000

Letter from Masanjia is a deeply touching and heroic documentary - a monument of compassion and bravery!! Whenever you need to activate your own courage, watch this film. It will open your heart and inspire you to take action despite the risks. I shed many tears - along with most in the theatre. Tears of admiration, sorrow and awe for the many layers of beauty and danger that we witnessed throughout this incredible journey. Wonderful use of animation (based on Sun Yi's skilled drawings) and risky undercover camera work - it's a miraculous film made despite great obstacles. Thank you Leon and your crew for your great love, dedication and artistry... This is truly an epic yet humble documentary - reflecting the epic yet humble nature of Sun Yi's life path.read more

Luís Fernando Novaes

2018-05-06T01:32:54+0000

Excellent documentary that shows us the truth about the evil communist regime.

Lingxi Zheng

2018-05-04T20:55:33+0000

Tom Kevin

2018-05-02T07:06:35+0000

Dandan Shi

2018-04-30T21:11:28+0000

Stephanie Mooney

2018-04-29T21:07:04+0000

One of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. This needs to be distributed world wide! #HotDocs

Beth Buss

2018-04-28T03:49:16+0000

Extraordinary. A true gift to us all. Thought-provoking, full of hope and tears.

Victoria Wu

2018-04-14T02:38:33+0000

Abhishekh Suri

2018-03-22T02:17:08+0000

Gong to devils den, and coming back alive, need lots of courage and fearful attitude.

Gisela Sommer

2018-03-20T16:49:56+0000

This brave man risked his life not just once, but every day, to tell his story – a story that matters to the world.

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