China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province (TV 2009)

On May 12, 2008, a catastrophic earthquake hit Sichuan Province in rural China, killing nearly 70,000 people, including 10,000 children. In town after town, poorly constructed school ... See full summary »

Directors:

Jon Alpert, Matthew O'Neill

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Storyline

On May 12, 2008, a catastrophic earthquake hit Sichuan Province in rural China, killing nearly 70,000 people, including 10,000 children. In town after town, poorly constructed school buildings crumbled, wiping out classrooms filled with students, most of them their parents' only child. But when grieving mothers and fathers sought explanations and justice, they found their path blocked by incompetence, corruption and empty promises.

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Plot Keywords:

china | earthquake | china protest | china politics | sichuan earthquake | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Short

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Details

Official Sites:

HBO [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

21 January 2010 (Hungary)

Filming Locations:

Sichuan, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Documentary Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

38 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (HD)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010)

User Reviews

really candid look

I loved this documentary because it was so candid and honest. It revolves around the aftermath of the massive 2008 earthquake in China that took the lives of thousands of people, many of them young children who were in unsound school buildings during the time of the tremor. Pictures of the lost and deceased children float in the hands of their parents throughout the film, who can been seen crying in almost every shot. The devastation and frustration felt by these families are heartbreakingly evident. Many lost their only child due to the OCP. I especially loved the part where some people were arguing over whether criticizing the standards for building structure safety in China was criticizing Red China as a whole, something everyone defended. I would recommend this to everyone, TiVo it next time it's on HBO, so long as you have tissues with you.