Back to Film Information
Chinese Independent Documentary --Village Documentary Project :
CIDFA034:
My Village in 2006(Jia Zhitan)
Directed, filmed, edited by Jia Zhitan
Length: 75 minutes
Production Year: 2008
Synopsis:
I always carried my camera, endlessly filming the people and events around me. During this process, I came into contact with various situations that were to the leaders’ benefit and to my ridicule. My wife felt my constant filming never amounted to even half a substantial benefit, so she grew frustrated and complained. Only the other villagers found this never-before-seen “foreigner’s toy” to be curious and refreshing, asking me to film their every joy, frustration, and sorrow. While I was documenting the everyday lives of the villagers, we also relied on some filmed testimony to represent disadvantaged minority groups, using the facts to pour out their troubles to the higher ups. We were actually able to help an 83-year-old woman who had accidentally fallen and broken her leg. We went to the county government to look for the county official, and managed to help her get 800 yuan medical treatment reimbursement. Because of this, the villagers consider me the reporter on our own soil, a man who participated in an event in the emperor’s city (Caochangdi), and has much influence and ability.
Filmmaker’s words:
From the start, I simply relied on the DV camera in my hand to painstakingly record the history and process of our developing Co-op. I figured, regardless of whether this Co-op fails or succeeds, it is still a true history of a spontaneous farmers’ social movement. Even if it’s a mere attempt, I want to dedicate it to the experts concerned with the “Three Rural Problems” (agriculture, the countryside, and farmers), and use these rich sources to petition for their support, so that ultimately we can increase peoples’ salaries and help them live better lives.
Just as the villagers were eagerly participating, the county secretary spoke these words: “Old Jia, there are so many things you can do, why do you insist on doing this?”
“This is the central spirit…” I held the camera and trained it at him, and he shot me a glare, saying, “What are you filming?! Even if a government reporter came, if I let him film he could film, but if I didn’t let him film, then he couldn’t film. You, you’re just a common people’s organization!” As he talked, he walked out the rear door, and at that point the situation took a sudden turn. A lot of sensible people thought the county wouldn’t even lift a finger to help: ‘This isn’t one of those group like Falungong, is it?
Even though there were so many of them who didn’t believe, everyone still stuck together, learning policy, mobilizing, studying technique, running as messengers... Not long after, we were noticed by the city and county media, and they came one by one to interview and report on us. The village government actually welcomed them warmheartedly, and during this time I stumbled upon an excellent eating opportunity: I got to enter the usually restricted village government’s best canteen.
Being an official is really no better than just having power. The words the secretary spoke cannot be changed easily, so we must trudge through as we build this Co-op; but at least from the beginning they have not controlled the DV camera in my hand, so I will continue to record the everyday needs and happenings of the villagers around me.
Filmmaker’s Bio:
Jia Zhitan, male, was born in 1950 in Yuanyichang village, in China’s Hunan Province. Jia joined Caochangdi’s Villager Documentary Project in 2005 and completed a documentary short entitled, “Quarry.” Since then, he has completed two feature length projects, My Village 2006 and My Village 2007.