During my 'I miss China' moments, I tend to search out Chinese movies, documentaries and books. I've just finished the 'Wild China' series, which aired in 2008, right before I left for China (but was too busy to watch it) and this week, I stumbled across 'Up The Yangtze', which I really feel should be a 'must see' for anyone planning to move to China. You can read Margaret and David's review here. The award-winning documentary follows a poor family living on the banks of the Yangtze and their dealings with the flooding and consequent loss of their home due to the Three Gorges Dam project. Anyone who has been in China will have encountered the poverty, be it in the cities or the rural villages. It's in your face and confronting. However, this documentary shows you the real story of such families. It is heartbreaking and uncomfortable to watch at times. The Yu family are poor, illiterate and live in a shack on the banks of the Yangtze. Their three children want to further their education by attending high school, but their family is unable to afford it. So, they send their 14 year old daughter off to work on the tour boats that cruise the Yangtze. Meanwhile, the water levels are slowly rising until eventually their home is completely submerged and they are forced to leave.
After watching the film, I was curious about what happened to the family after the filming (which took place in 2007). I was heartened to see that, due to the exposure from the film, many donations were made and the family are now receiving significant support - all the children are attending high school and the parents health is being improved with medical attention. You can read more about the family's current situation here. Although this was pleasing to see, it did make me wonder about all the other families who were affected by the Three Gorges project. Whilst the documentary was grounding and beautifully done, next time I need a China fix, I think I'll search for something a little more upbeat.
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