By Jesus Solly Olivares
Georgia (The Hollywood Times) 10/14/2022
Loft Sky Pictures groundbreaking Canadian filmmaker Jason Loftus (“Ask No Questions”) latest film, the powerful animated documentary “Eternal Spring (長春 )” upcoming US theatrical release. “Eternal Spring (長春 )” offers a heart-pounding heist based in the need for survival and social activism addressing human rights violations. By combining present-day footage with 3D animation inspired by comic book illustrator Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars) art, “Eternal Spring (長春 )” retraces this extraordinary real life event of the takeover of a Chinese TV station on its 20th anniversary, bringing to life an unprecedented story of defiance, harrowing eyewitness accounts of persecution, and an exhilarating tale of determination to speak up for political and religious freedoms. When we stand against injustice and speak up no matter the cost, we will affect the change we want to see in the world.
For tickets click HERE
Confronted with government denunciations and human rights violations against their spiritual practice, a group of Chinese activists executes a bold and perilous plan to hack into state television. In March 2002, a state TV signal in China gets hacked by members of the banned spiritual group Falun Gong. Their goal is to counter the government narrative about their practice.
Watch Trailer HERE
In the aftermath, police raids sweep Changchun City, and comic book illustrator Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars), a Falun Gong practitioner, is forced to flee. He arrives in North America, blaming the hijacking for worsening an already violent repression. But his views are challenged when he meets the lone surviving participant to have escaped China, now living in Seoul, South Korea.
The Hollywood Times had the opportunity to speak to the director of Eternal Spring, Jason Loftus.
Enjoy our conversation:
Here are the questions asked during the Zoom interview:
1.I define bravery as doing what you feel is right and dealing with the consequences later. This was one of the most harrowing examples of bravery I have ever had the pleasure of watching. How long did it take to plan and scope out the areas they wanted to use to do the broadcast thing?
2. I love the animation retelling of the story. It’s so beautiful I can’t stop gushing over it How long did it take to draw and animated?
3. Living in the US and having a disability along with a smooth-talking way about me I’ve never feared police brutality. I just wanted to point out how eye opening this was. This film makes me want to speak out against oppression. What do you hope this film does for people?
4. What was the idea with the balloons?
5. Can you explain what Zheng fui did? Or why he was considered a mythical creature in China?
6. For People who don’t know what is Falun Gong ? Because you can do a google search, yes but I want to hear from actual participants what it’s like to be in a group like this, in a country that prohibits it.
7. What are some basic teachings of Falun Gong?
8 .Would the broadcast hijacking be easier or more difficult today given technological advances?
9. What is the Chinese government’s obsession with Falun Gong?
10. Will there ever be an English dub?
11. Live action retelling?
12. I defined bravery earlier in my own words but to end this interview I want to get your perspective on what it means to be brave.
Canada’s official entry into the international feature film category for the 2023 Oscars, “Eternal Spring (長春 )” is gearing up for the rapidly approaching US theatrical release. Having begun the films Canadian theatrical in September, the film begins its official theatrical release in the United States with a week-long exclusive at New York’s prestigious Film Forum starting on October 14th, before expanding nationwide to more than 50 markets on October 21st. Markets where tickets are available for purchase beginning on October 21stfor the expansive roll out include: Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Detroit, Cincinnati, Chattanooga, Columbus, Hartford, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Nashville, New York, New Haven, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tulsa and Washington D.C, among others.
“Eternal Spring (長春)” is a multiple award winner, having won the Hot Docs Audience Award for best film and the Rogers Audience Award for best Canadian film, among many others (truly they’d won at nearly every international film festival where they have screened to sold-out crowds). This extraordinary harmony of animation & documentary has been awarded and acclaimed across Europe in its Film Festival run thus far for its groundbreaking animation – and of particular note, has been its incredible comic-book-style animation that transports the viewer into the brave and heroic world of a group of Falun Gong practitioners. “Eternal Spring (長春)” with its story of survival at all costs & battle for human rights continues to draw powerful comparisons to beloved Oscar nominee “Flee.”
A Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and four-time Canadian Screen Award nominee, Jason’s work spans documentary, docuseries, virtual reality, narrative games, and animation. His directorial debut in a documentary feature, ASK NO QUESTIONS, premiered in competition at Slamdance in 2020. ETERNAL SPRING is Jason’s follow-up feature film.
CHARACTERS
Daxiong – The artist
An acclaimed comic artist from China, Daxiong has illustrated the likes of Star Wars comics for Dark Horse and DC’s Justice League of America. He fled his hometown of Changchun in Northeast China in the aftermath of a dramatic heist of the state TV airwaves. Daxiong sets out to retrace the events of the hijacking through his artwork and meets the lone hijacker to have escaped China.
Liang – The mastermind
An engineer and devotee of the Falun Gong spiritual practice, Liang Zhenxing’s soft-spoken demeanor belies his steely resolve to defy the government’s ban on his faith—and counter the official narrative. But when Liang decides leaflets and banners are no match for the state media behemoth maligning Falun Gong, he hatches a bold plot to take over the TV airwaves.
Big Truck – Liu Chengjun
A hulking grain worker from a rural county outside Changchun, Liu Chungjun is a former ruffian who was inspired to change his ways by Falun Gong’s tenets of truth, compassion, and tolerance. Big Truck is an imposing figure with a strong sense of loyalty, and not even prison walls are going to keep him for helping Liang pull off his heist.
ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY | 86 MINUTES | 2022
Review
It is the most harrowing depiction of bravery I have seen in years.
5 out of 5
In August 2022, the film was announced as Canada’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. It was the first documentary film and the first animated film ever submitted by Canada, and only the fourth time since 1971 that a film was selected in a language other than French.