Lofty Sky Pictures

Eternal Spring (長春)

When members of Falun Gong hack China's state TV to expose repression, lives are changed forever. Filmmaker Jason Loftus and celebrated comic artist Daxiong tell the resilient story of those fighting for religious freedom in this vivid and stirring hybrid documentary that was Canada’s Official Submission to the 2023 Oscars® for Best International Feature Film.

SYNOPSIS
In March 2002, a state TV signal in China is hacked by members of the banned spiritual group Falun Gong. Their goal is to counter the government narrative about their practice.

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.

Combining present-day footage with 3D animation inspired by Daxiong’s art, Eternal Spring (長春) retraces the event on its 20th anniversary, and brings to life an unprecedented story of defiance told through harrowing eyewitness accounts of persecution and incredible artistry. Eternal Spring is an exhilarating tale of determination to speak up for political and religious freedoms, no matter the cost.

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PRAISE FOR ETERNAL SPRING:

“Dizzyingly superb…powerfully moving” - Variety
“Distinctly incisive on an emotional level” - LA Times
4 STARS “A painful, important film” - The Guardian
“Pulse-pounding” - Screen Daily
“Essential…a thrilling, all-consuming film.” - The Globe & Mail (CRITIC’S PICK)
“ONE OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARIES OF THE YEAR” - POV Magazine, SlashFilm, and The A.V. Club