'The Warriors of Qiugang' Documentary Premieres at UCLA Screening

Capacity crowd hears message of environmental progress in China.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary short "The Warriors of Qiugang," which tells the story of environmental progress in China illustrated through the plight of a small Chinese village, premiered today to a full house at UCLA.  

Hosted by the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in U.S./China Relations and Communications, the screening of the film, was followed by a panel discussion with the film's creators, director Ruby Yang and writer Thomas Lennon, as well as Yunxiang Yan, co-director of the UCLA's Center for Asian American Studies.  The evening was moderated by Tritia Toyota, adjunct assistant professor of anthropology at UCLA.  

"Qiugang's struggle to take back its ravaged environment from unscrupulous polluters is an inspirational story," said Toyota.  "It is my hope that the Academy's recognition of 'Warriors' brings to light China's efforts in environmental protection as a model for the world."

The film chronicles the plight of a rural Chinese village and its fight to reclaim its once-lush environment from a polluting manufacturing facility.  It tells the story of how the humble yet courageous villagers organized protests, signed petitions and traveled to Beijing to plead their case, in the process transforming not only their home but also themselves.

China's high economic growth rate has been a major cause of environmental degradation, but a sense of environmental awareness has been spreading throughout the country. Both the government and the civilians have united in an "environmental protection war" to save the planet.

"The Warriors of Qiugang" recognizes and supports the environmental protection policy led by the Chinese government, as well as the government's commitments to crack down on polluters.  It aims to inspire other people and their governments around the world to act efficiently to preserve the planet.

Yang and Lennon are activists against environmental harm and applaud the Chinese people who have transitioned from an economically rising nation to an environmentally aware nation.  The team also produced "The Blood of the Yingzhou District," which chronicles the lives of AIDS orphans in China.  The first in a trilogy of films set in China, it won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Both the "The Blood of the Yingzhou District" and "The Warriors of Qiugang" were sponsored by Walter and Shirley Wang.

The Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in U.S./China Relations and Communications and the U.S./ China media brief at UCLA aims to foster open communications and to raise awareness of U.S./China relations and education.  More information can be found at www.uschinamediabrief.com

SOURCE Walter Wang, Film Sponsor