We are the … of Communism

A quietly enraging, intimate look at children fighting to keep learning while indifferent systems grind around them.

Directed by

Zi'en Cui

Genres

Documentary

Overview

The Yuanhai Migrants Children’s School, which serves children of migrant laborers in Beijing, is shut down by city officials for reasons never made clear. The students and teachers manage to continue class, first by sneaking into the shuttered campus, then moving inside a ruined factory, and even setting up class on the street. Following the personal journeys of students as they battle bureaucratic corruption for their right to learn, Cui exposes a crisis of social values in the wake of China’s economic reforms.

How it feels

Melancholic, earnest, tense and cynical. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Education, class, justice, corruption

Content

Mild language. No violence, gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)