The 10 Conditions of Love is finally screened
Download 10 Conditions of Love Annotated Press clips
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After arriving in Australia, Rebiya Kadeer met the press to talk about the film and China’s response (Uyghur activist at premiere CNN August 5th, China’s Public Enemy The Wall Street Journal August 7th, Uighur leader to launch film in spirit of peace The Age August 5th, ‘We’re all Melbournians’: Uighur leader controversy goes global The Age August 5th, Kadeer finds support at Melbourne Film Festival NTDTV August 5th).
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Sudden overwhelming demand by filmgoers to see The 10 Conditions of Love prompted festival organisers to plan a second preview screening and move the original screening to the prestigious Melbourne Town Hall. 1000 additional tickets sold out in less than 4 hours (Controversial Uighur film a festival sell-out The Age July 27th). |
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Finally on the night of the screening, with a strong police presence, 1700 people lined up around two blocks to see the film and ask Rebiya Kadeer questions (Kadeer hopes for democracy and freedom AAP August 9th, Australian local news reports). The screening ended with a standing ovation as international press hovered over Rebiya Kadeer and the film’s Director Jeff Daniels and Producers John Lewis and Dennis Smith. Press from various countries told their own versions of the film’s reception (A dull show by Rebiya Kadeer Xinhua News August 10th, Film Festival in the Cross Hairs The New York Times August 9th).
After Rebiya Kadeer’s appearance at the screening of The 10 Conditions of Love her invitation to speak at Australia’s National Press Club was met with more condemnation and pressure from the Chinese government (Call for press club ban: Chinese pressure media The Australian August 11th) |
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Since Ms. Kadeer’s visit to Australia its relations with China have been “challenging” as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd puts it (Australia-China tie ‘challenging’ BBC August 20th, Different approaches The Economist August 20th, We decide who gets visa: PM The Australian August 22nd, If crossing the dragon’s path tread warily The Age August 24th) The Chinese government has made other attempts to prevent the broadcast of The 10 Conditions of Love. In New Zealand, indigenous broadcaster Maori TV sought to screen the film on their station feeling it struck a cord with native New Zealander’s historic struggle to maintain their culture and land title. Again the Chinese government stepped in, demanding the station not broadcast the film, but instead their own documentary proving Rebiya Kadeer’s involvement in the July 5th violence in Western China. Maori TV was stunned by this request and flatly refused to pull The 10 Conditions of Love from their schedule (China wants Maori TV to show riot film New Zealand Herald August 11th, China finds scapegoat for bloody unrest New Zealand Herald August 22nd, Chinese Embassy asks Maori TV to pull controversial doco 3 News August 16th). In Taiwan government officials were outraged when the film Miao Miao a Taiwan-China coproduction was withdrawn by Chinese producers from the Melbourne International Film Festival. Taiwanese government officials were not consulted over this decision and clamoured for the screening of The 10 Conditions of Love everywhere in Taiwan as a matter of national pride to protect their stance on freedom of expression and human rights (Why Taiwan must show ‘The 10 Conditions of Love’ Taiwan News August 7th, Now for the overseas fifth column Taipei Times August 27th). Today the film awaits news of selection to film festivals around the world. Invitations were sent to the film’s producers from film festivals throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia including the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea and even Hong Kong. |
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