"Open your eyes on each other.
text written before the screening "
AI Xiaoming
[Mrs AI has been awarded the Simone de Beauvoir, 2010. A meeting was held January 12, 2010 at the University of Paris Diderot. Unable be present on site, Ms. Al sent this text]
I do not know what movie was screened. Since 2004, I worked with Hu Jie independent producer and together we have achieved more than a dozen documentary films that focus on contemporary Chinese society, the situation of women and human rights movements. But at the time of this writing, I thought of something else.
In 2005, when I was in search of soundtrack of the film documentary " Garden's Paradise" (Tiantang Huayuan), I read the text of a musician, Yang Dian guzhen player. This text, which made me a strong impression, is entitled "Chronicle of a zither bloody." According to Yang Dian, in ancient China, in imperial times, the greatest musicians opposed to the use of violence by the sovereign, they oppose with all their might to become martyrs. The soul of the instrument, is the spirit of these heroic musicians who have been fearless and daring the paths of liberty.
In this documentary, "Garden of Paradise", a mother seeks the painful truth about his daughter who was raped to death. Faced with the battered body of his daughter, his heart is destroyed, the pain she feels is inhumane. To preserve the body, she prepared herself formalin solution. When the film ends, the suspects were acquitted, but must pay the sum of 59 399.5 yuan in compensation. A decision eminently contradictory!
It the same year that occurs the Sun Zhigang case that led to the change of Chinese law [1] . In the case of Huang Jing [which is the subject of the documentary. NDT], the victim is a woman. Many, many feminists have become involved in the campaign associated with this case. But today, if you ask the Chinese students, most are unaware of the courageous campaign was conducted, and also ultimately failed.
One explanation is that we fought for social equality by means of a movement of citizens. We did not have access to legal knowledge.
A second explanation is that the violation of women's rights are numerous and sometimes much more serious, or at a larger scale than the case of Huang Jing. Making it difficult to focus people's attention on one case.
What encouraged me to choose the path of documentary is this case of violence against women. The idea that I always remember is that : open our eyes each on the other.
We need to see.
See how the life of a human being can be outraged.
See that we may die unburied because justice is not equal for all and that the neglect of violence against women.
In this part of the documentary, I used the guqin piece entitled "Huji shiba pai" [part of the classical repertoire in 18 steps. NDT] to emphasize the pain of a mother who lost her daughter. But this is one aspect. The soul of this documentary is the struggle for social justice caused by pain. The blood and the zither, documentary and art maintain relations inseparable.
In September 2005, I filmed "The village of Taishi (Taishicun), a work devoted to elections in a village in Guangdong province. This time, again, I did not know that the film would gradually change the course of my life. After its completion, I was forbidden to go abroad, then we forbade me to go to my students. Several of the most famous Chinese universities did not allow me to give lectures. It was banned in some independent film festivals to plan my work.
From all this, I'm not complaining. Because in China, many writers and filmmakers have had an early spell equivalent. For my part, I was really lucky because before making documentary films for over twenty years I was a university professor. I had many opportunities for exchanges, training university research. And these experiences gave me the energy to get into the documentary field.
I would also say that I am particularly grateful to life for allowing me to become a documentary filmmaker. It taught me to see, share, understand, in our society, which is tough, women can withstand pain that it's hard to imagine.
In the film "Chronicle of the Central Plains" (Zhonggyuan jishi), women Henan, at that time because of the development at this time of so-called "economy of blood," gave their blood and were infected with HIV.
In "The home care and love" (Guan Zhijia), women and children are infected through a transfusion at the hospital at birth.
In the movie "Our little children" (Women of wawa), because [during the earthquake in Sichuan] their children were buried under the rubble of schools built in cardboard. At the height of their despair, parents lose the will to live . Myself, I would not have the strength to face all this. While I was editing the film, I could not stop bursting into tears.
However, filming, during assembly, I also saw many other realities. I have witnessed situations that encouraged me and got me excited: the emergence of passion and action to demand rights. A Chinese proverb says: the brink of death, there is the possibility of life. In many situations extreme, we see women equipped with vitality and creativity unprecedented. That these women are intellectuals such as Professor Gao Yaojie [2] , mere volunteers like those contained in "A citizen survey (Gongming diaocha [last documentary Mrs. AI]), or whether the mothers of missing children in our film made about the earthquake in Sichuan.
From my point of view, the struggle for human embodies the soul Chinese people today. Therein lies the hope of this society. The fight for the rights must be the cornerstone of contemporary Chinese art.
The cinema was invented in France a century ago. I believe that if Simone de Beauvoir had had a camera and made films, the story of the emancipation of women would have been different. We could meet us and we encourage each other. Today, the diffusion of technology makes it possible allows us to meet here.
I cordially thank the organizers of the screening today, I thank the audience, thank you, through my documentary, you will be interested in the history of the struggle Chinese women lead the conquest of their rights.
Translation Gilles GUIHEUX
Copyright AI Xiaoming
[1] Sun Zhigang, a young man of 27, graduated from the University of Wuhan , died on March 20, 2003 in a detention center ( 收容所 Shourongsuo). The case made headlines when the national press . Sun, who worked at Township , was arrested under that it does not concern him his residence permit (hukou). President Wen announced June 20, 2003 that the detention centers would be replaced by simple steps to help vagrants and beggars (NDT).
Speech Award Simone de Beauvoir
By Julia Kristeva
On January 11, 2010, Les Deux Magots
Since the "chances of the individual" does define themselves not in terms of happiness but in terms of freedom "because" we are free to transcend all transcendence, but [that] this 'elsewhere' is still in our human condition "since freedom itself, because of ambiguities and risks involved "must challenge in its own way it can use to conquer, since, finally, freedom upsets community codes and do combine in the singular," For this world has any importance, so that our businesses are meaningful and worthy of sacrifice, we must affirm the sense of the dignity of every man [of each woman], taken one by one [one to one] ... " wrote Simone de Beauvoir.
And although the dignity, creativity and rights of women are progressing in advanced democracies, but are still far from being respected as a universal value (the "national cause", recently proclaimed in France cons "violence against women" is proof);
must recognize that the cursor in the fight for women's rights now moves in developing countries and countries known emerging.
Aware of this data is becoming crucial for the future of human rights in globalization, the Jury Prize Simone de Beauvoir for freedom of women (funded by Editions Gallimard, Cultures and the Centre National du Livre, and endowed with 30,000 euros) awarded the 2008 Prize to Ms Taslima Nasreen and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, two women sentenced to death by Islamic fundamentalists , and the 2009 Prize to the NGO "One million signatures" mobilized to collect a million signatures in favor of women's rights in Iran, which was given to the great Iranian poet Simim Ms. Behbahani.
The 2010 prize was awarded to two Chinese women: Mrs Guo and AI Xiaoming Jianmei.
The jury had already made a decision when we learned that the dissident Liu Xiaobo, a writer and former university professor, an author of the Charter 08 for Human Rights, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. In this context AI GUO Xiaoming and Jianmei have the tenacity and genius continue with patience and determination their action for women's rights. By giving them the award, the jury hears help mobilize international solidarity, to reaffirm the right of women, the protection of those who fight today to risk their lives, and defend with them the ideals of equality and peace.
It should be noted that Simone de Beauvoir was among the first Western scholars to visit China in September-October 1955, The Long March being published by Gallimard in 1957. Reporting on the spot and attempt to explain a mysterious country and growing, the author welcomes with enthusiasm, Beauvoir's book is there a "trip to Utopia," a rush towards a new Promised Land after the disappointments of Soviet communism, or even the West as a whole? The pathos of Beauvoir suggest. Yet without the linguistic, anthropological and ethnological own to elucidate the peculiarities of the Chinese mainland, it seems that the writer gives a single objective: that we leave a big question mark against this emerging otherness, us forward its own solidarity with passion "those who fight hard to build a human world." order that we continue to think, love and examine our own "long march" to us.
So you understand that the price Simone de Beauvoir for women's freedom 2010 today awarded Ms. Ai and Guo is a recognition of the accomplishments and creativity of Chinese women, but also a signal to those who, outside of China, following with an immense solidarity their struggle for the right of women and men. Award Simone de Beauvoir for women's freedom finally 2010, is a message to us, intellectuals and political scientists, women and men of the globalized world, it invites more know better interpret the specific of Chinese civilization still enigmatic for our metaphysical reason. It remains for us as a "long march" to accomplish the generation after Simone de Beauvoir company has, at its own risk, and which try to testify, along with others, the conference-debate to be held at the University Paris Diderot, January 12 to 17h. To avoid freeze these Chinese characteristics into the Promised Land, and to brandish as an easy apology and resignation irresponsible face of crimes against the fundamental freedoms as to avoid neglecting diversity China, as do those who try to impose from the outside our conceptions of democracy and human rights and women but to work together , with women and men this great power of tomorrow and already today, as Am and Jianmei Guo Xiaoming, to further promote these universal rights which are never more accessible to all if they take into account each civilization each individual and the precise time of their actual history.
Julia Kristeva
Text
AI Xiaoming
[Mrs AI Xiaoming Prize winner Simone de Beauvoir, 2010. Prevented from traveling to Paris, Mrs. AI was send this text, read in his name Monday, January 11, 2010]
One evening in late December, a phone call informed me that I was winner of Simone de Beauvoir. This year, two winners are Chinese: Ms Guo Jianmei, a lawyer in Beijing, and myself.
When I received this call, I was in the waiting room of a station. I was too lightly dressed and I shuddered. I amid a crowd of passengers crowded baggage. trains were delayed by a cold front from the north.
How to believe such news?
Then I sent messages to my family and my friends. I also informed my university. Some have expressed their warm congratulations. Others erupted in joy. Others did not understand. I had to explain who was Simone de Beauvoir, her struggle for women's rights was not confined to Europe, and did not stop not today, one hundred years later.
That price is so important to me is attributed causes in me a strange feeling. I'm a little embarrassed to talk about it. In recent years, I have not had a clear understanding of my own situation. Because I make films, my lawyer friends and I have been confronted with violence of organized crime, but also that of the official police and its specialized services. Some tell me the day the net tightens, there will be time to notify (when I can not help thinking a scene from a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: a knife in hand, a clan leader in troublesome kitchen a person a fish dish with marinated vegetables, this dish, decorated with coriander, then served at a formal banquet).
From this point of view, this award to me invaluable. In winter, the heart of the coldest season, that's a flower falls from the sky. It is an honor as it was not me not long ago. This consideration came from afar is as a blessing. As if the light FDI Simone de Beauvoir to suddenly over me. My family, my friends, myself, we know that , despite the paranoia of all clan leaders, the general indifference, caution and isolation, many people are paying attention to our action and our supporters . Many people who share our love of freedom, the freedom of swimming fish as he wishes, and love of human dignity, as immense as the sea agitated by the waves.
In fall 2008, I came to France in Paris to participate in the festival of Shadows independent Chinese cinema. I walked the streets of Paris with a friend and it took me a coffee. We drank rum. At the entrance lined with leaves and flowers, two young girls smiling , from the Middle East , let us take pictures as souvenirs. It's one of those cafes that line the charming corner of Paris. My friend told me it was in this café, Les Deux Magots, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre came to discuss and write.
The award ceremony takes place at the Deux Magots. Unfortunately, the police prevented me from renew my passport and I can not be present among you today. I fought with all my strength, but in vain, and I had to abandon all hope of being present. At the same time, in our wonderful countries, as major events occur. A writer is questioned for six articles that he has signed and is sentenced to spend 4,021 days in prison while Scheherazade only need tales of 1001 nights to escape his despot. Elsewhere in China, a woman entrepreneur, whose house was threatened with demolition, to prevent that her family would be beaten by the thugs that recruit sponsors, set herself on fire. The first day of this year, my collaborator for the production of documentaries was again arrested by the police. I longed to write this quietly acceptance speech, but I was constantly interrupted by the news. Before the avalanche of unexpected events, while the world is in crisis everywhere, I'm not an actor very modest.
Let me express my gratitude to all the members of this award and especially its Chair, Professor Julia Kristeva. The award celebrates "the freedom of women" bears the name of a thinker and a fighter who has immensely contributed to the emancipation of women and human beings. Today, you grant this award to a Chinese woman, single university, which recently devoted to independent documentary filmmaking. It is with great humility that I accept this flower from heaven.
The refrain of a song from the Chinese wartime anti-Japanese said: "In May, the flowers are blooming and just cover the blood of patriots. " That's what this flower from the capital of freedom tells us the freedom and emancipation are possible.
I thank Simone de Beauvoir
I thank the flower witty she sent me.
While in this new century, China is snow, a flower brightens our thorny path to honor.
On January 5, 2010
Translation Gilles GUIHEUX and XU Shuang
Copyright AI Xiaoming
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