By Lydia Ianni
AFI FEST Daily News

PETITION, a Chinese documentary shot over the course of a decade by Zhao Liang, focuses on the lives of men and women from across China that set up camp in Southern Beijing to petition the central government after they have exhausted their options with local governments. Told through interviews and footage from concealed cameras, the photojournalistic documentary takes a rare look at Chinese bureaucracy.

These petitioner’s grievances involve everything from loss of employment to wrongful death. They relocate to Beijing and live in hastily set up camps, known as Petitioners’ Village, where they put their lives on hold. Once there, they battle poverty and agents from their local governments hoping to stop them from petitioning. The petitioners soon realize that their battle may take years to be resolved, if ever.

Zhao Liang’s documentary captures these years of struggle. The choice to film over such a long time allows PETITION to capture the true breadth of its subject. Qi, a middle aged woman with a daughter, is petitioning the government regarding her late husband, who died after receiving what she believes was improper medical treatment. When Zhao began filming, Qi’s daughter Juan is 12-years-old and has not been going to school while her mother has been petitioning. Juan’s frustration at her situation grows and she eventually leaves her mother to live on her own. As a grown woman, with a husband and young baby, she returns to visit her mother who all these years later is still petitioning the government over the same situation–and is not ready to leave.

Though most of the petitioners like Qi come because of a perceived wrongdoing against themselves or a close family member, others come for other reasons. An elderly woman named Granny Pan is petitioning against government corruption, and has been for quite some time, despite her family’s pleas to drop the case and come home. But as Granny Pan explains, she would only come home if her petitioning wouldn’t improve her country. Her faith in what would seem to most like an exercise in futility is as frustrating as it is touching. Her petitioning is for the betterment of society and love of her country, and she seems ready to spend the remainder of her life doing it.

This perseverance seems to be shared by the film’s director; it is clear from much of the footage that his shooting was sometimes clandestine. While much of the film takes place in broad daylight, there is quite a bit of footage of the petition office that contains shaky camerawork, odd angles, and partially obscured frames. However, a concealed camera was not needed to expose some of the film’s strongest ironies.

PETITION captures the gap between media images and lived experiences. Surrounded by poverty, petitioners watch glamorized singers on television or hear lavish descriptions of New Years feasts enjoyed by high government officials. A petitioner looking for a place to sleep is surprised that the train station has been demolished for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Through these sharp contrasts, Zhao’s film takes a harsh look at the lives of those caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare.

PETITION may not be easy viewing. Many of the interviews with the petitioners reveal emotionally wrought men and women, which can be equally taxing for the viewer. Equal parts frustrating, inspiring, and humbling, these ordinary people display a profound faith and perseverance.