All language subtitles for Hooligan.Sparrow.2016

[vehicles rumbling]
[people chattering]

That's me with the camera.

Those guys are watching
me because of the camera.

What is she filming?
Why is she taking
pictures of me?

Don't even try it,
or I'll crush you!

Why are you taking my camera?

What follows is the
story I captured

before they took
the camera from me.

[speaking foreign language]

[dark, somber music]

[train rumbling]

[click]

Today is August 19th.

This afternoon I'm gonna meet
with the national
security agents.

Who will come to see
me at 3 o'clock.

And investigate on what I've
been doing during this summer.

I'm a little bit nervous.

I really wish I can
film the conversation,

but of course, I couldn't.

There's no way to even
take out a camera.

So what I did is

I put on this long dress,
you can see this is an

ankle length...

dress.

And underneath the dress

I put on my shorts.

And I have my audio
recorder in my pocket.

Hopefully...

I can...

[sighing]

get the audio of
our conversation.

[people talking
in foreign language]

Why did you
come back this time?

I came back to do a topic
on sex workers

I saw the report
on Ye Haiyan

There were quite a lot
of reports on her overseas

She posted photos and admitted
that she's a sex worker

I am willing to provide
free sex services

That was what she said

Yes, she said she would provide
free sex services

[Nanfu] This is the
famous photo of Ye Haiyan

or Hooligan Sparrow,
as she's often called.

Sparrow went to work in
the brothel for free,

to expose the realities
of life for sex workers.

This was just one example

of Sparrow's confrontational
style of activism.

[screams]

Place the condom
on the men's genitalia

[woman] Hooligan Sparrow
is the most well known

female activist using nudity
to fight for women's rights

(Sex workers are part of
society, please do not violate
or hurt them)

[Nanfu] This
campaign made Sparrow

known across China
and the world,

as a women's rights activist.

Approximately 3 to 4 times

[indistinct]

[Nanfu] What I
told them was a lie.

In reality I spent
all summer with her.

[birds chirping]

To purify our school campuses

[vehicles rumbling]

[low buzzing]

It was my first trip
back home to China,

after living in
America for two years.

I had never met Sparrow.

But I knew like me, she came
from a poor farming village

and had a hard life.

[plane buzzing]

When I landed in China,

Sparrow was busy responding
to a breaking news story

from the island Hainan in
the south of the country.

Report on Hainan elementary
school principal taking
school girls to hotel

Let's pay attention to reports
from Hainan in regards...

On May 8th, head teacher
of Hainan elementary school

discovered that 6 girls
did not show up for class

After contacting the parents
and searched all night
without discovery

Report was made
with local authorities

Authorities discovered them
around WanNing and Hainan

After investigation, on the
night of May 8th

two suspects
brought the girls
to a hotel

Suspect Chen is the principal
of a elementary school in Hainan

Suspect Fung is an employee with
WanNing City Dept. of Housing
Management

The ages of the six girls
range from 11 to 14

[Nanfu] Even though
surveillance cameras

show the girls being
let into the hotel room

by the principal and
the government official,

the police said that there
wasn't enough evidence

to convict them of rape.

[reporter] Police states
that after going
through the evidence.

There was no evidence found
to suggest the two suspects had
sexual behavior with the girls.

[Nanfu] When no
charges were filed

the girl's parents
released this photo.

They claimed she
was still bleeding

four days after the incident.

That's when the story
began to change.

[man]
Suspect Chen offered two girls
10K to have sex with him.

Principal Chen offered to pay
the girls to have sex with him.

In our country, the highest
penalty for rape is death.

and sex with minor is a minimum
of five years imprisonment

up to 15 years.

If the rape victim
is a child prostitute.

The offender will only receive
five to 15 years imprisonment.

Show by raising your hands.

One, two, three,
four, five, six

Prosecute Principal Chen
Purify our school campuses.

This is the first thing
on our list.

The next one is to monitor
the commissioner responsible.

Make sure we indicate that's
the Education Commissioner of
WanNing.

Last but not least,
school principal
taking kids to the hotel,

please have mercy
on the children.

My principal takes me to the
hotel, please have mercy
on the children!

That's our slogan and others
will follow

That's for sure.

So that last one
will be just like that.

In China, most Government
officials who commit rape
of a minor

are not convicted,
because it was paid for.

This incident in Hainan has
happened numerous times
in China.

That is why we came to Hainan
to protest, we do not want the
suspect to get away this time.

[Nanfu] That first day,

Sparrow asked me to
help with my camera.

Hello, everyone,
I am Ye Haiyan.

I am a women's rights activist.

In light of the recent incident,
where the principal of a school
took girls to hotels

and sexually molested them,

I have come to WanNing Hainan.

If anything were to happen
in the process of investigation,

note that it is not something
that I wish to see.

-What else do I say?
-I don't know.

-You have not done this before?
-No, I have not.

How do I say it?

There are sometimes
a lot of suppression.

Or being locked up in a
psychiatric ward

or detention facility.

This kind of situation could
take place any time.

So in light of these situations,

many will have to make a
preamp statement

stating that they have
no suicidal tendencies

Hi, everyone,
I am Wang Jianfeng
from Jiangsu.

I am a civilian

and a victim.

My name is Shan Lihua
from Jiangsu,

a woman fighting to
safeguard legal rights.

We should all stand up

and appeal Abolition of the
Crime of Whoring Jurisprudence.

I am going to pick up my pen
and camera

and show everyone that there are
a lot of illegal phenomenon.

I want to expose these
phenomenon.

If something were to happen to
me, it must be the doing of the
people involved.

I ask that you
redress an injustice for me

If anything happen,

please try to find me

and please.

[car engine revving]

Long ago, Hua Mulan
Joined her father's army

Today's warriors
Take up arms for the people

Let's march
Let's march

As soldiers
We have big responsibilities

As women
We suffer big injustices

[laughing]

The Women's Red
Revolutionary Detachment

The main reason that I am doing
this is because I am a mother.

I am a single mother.

I have a daughter, whom is 13

When my kids were young, every
little scratch on them would
freak me out.

It's the same for all mothers.

Things that happened to me, if
she had not died, I may not have
survived.

[vehicles rumbling]
[people chattering]

Out of the way!

Can you shoot that?

Yes.

For which agency
do you work for?

I can't talk to you.

[Nanfu] See this guy
taking a picture of me.

At the time I didn't know why,

but now I think he might
have been secret police.

That's how they
got my information.

Purify our school campuses.
Prosecute Principal Chen.

Purify our school campuses.
Prosecute Principal Chen.

The head of the department
of education should resign!

Our country does
have protective laws.

The law does exist,
but it is not well enforced

Take up legal arms!
Fight for your rights!

So I thought I would printout
these legal provisions

for people
to take home and read.

[Nanfu] One of the men
who asked for pamphlet,

had been watching me when
I first setup my camera.

It would take me
weeks to realize

who was watching us and why.

[vehicles rumbling]

Wait, I'll register you.

Go ahead.

It's a scandalous crime
to abuse 13-year-old girls.

Where are you from?

[siren wailing]

All over.

-I am from Jiangsu.
-I am from Zhengzhou, Henan.

She's from Beijing.

Which media are you with?

I am not with the media.

Shall we go over
and check it out?

[Nanfu] This
was the first time

I ever filmed in
public in China.

I was so afraid of
losing my camera

that I went back to the van.

Will they be okay?

Police

They are just holding down
the fort,

they don't want to forcefully
take us away,

I think they will be gone
shortly.

Let's just watch our every step.

Locals are on your side.

Don't be afraid,

we're doing this
to ask for justice.

You think it will be dangerous
to continue filming?

I will go and film it.

Shoot, I'll cover you.

Purify our school campuses.
Prosecute Principal Chen.

Screaming like that
is useless.

This principal has sexually
abused his students.

As a principal
luring 6th grade
girls to a hotel.

He is worse
than a beast.

He must be severely punished.

[Ye Haiyan] I thought the
police were going
to make arrests.

But I also understand,
if arrests were made,

the conflicts will grow even
greater.

So I sort of gambled.

If they were smart, they would
know not to arrest us.

Nothing serious, or
otherwise it will be seen
by the whole country.

Hurry!

[door closes]

Police kept asking what
department we are from,
so now I do the same to them.

I want to know what department,
agency you are with.

There's another incident in
Henan today.

On May 26th,
the head of Archives in Sichuan

laid naked
on a 7-year-old girl.

The little girl
screamed for help.

When her mother came in,
he slapped her saying,

"If you say one word,
I'll kill you.

I'm playing with
your daughter,
so what?"

The society is all acting on the

Crime of Whoring Jurisprudence

Crime of Whoring Jurisprudence
law is especially created
for the officials.

Those sons of bitches.

[somber, light music]

[birds cawing, water gushing]

(Protesting Education Dept.
and Woman's Rights
losing its voice by Wang Yu)

(Crime of Whoring Jurisprudence
Punish sexual offenders
begin in WanNing)

(Don't let your silence indulge
more sexual offenders on the
school campus, by Wang Jianfeng)

(By Wang Jianfen)

(Sexual molestation
of young girls,
protesting Education Dept.)

(Women's federation exist in
name only. Women's rights
in China are dead)

All of us that gathered here
have all experienced some
difficult times.

I should say most or all have
had encounters with the
authorities.

I feel when women are at work,
they forget their gender.

Full-time activists
have no gender,

but regardless,
we are still women.

Women's activist! Yeah!

One, two, three!

Women's activist! Yeah!

Take a picture with my phone.

[click]

[Nanfu] The next
day Sparrow went back

to her home city, Bobai,

a few 100 miles away from
where the protest was.

She was worried
about her daughter

who was at home alone.

I followed lawyer Wang back
to Wanning city in Hainan.

The main purpose of my trip

was to represent
the girls that
were victimized.

To protect
and safeguard their rights.

Also to learn more insight
about the case.

Your rights are violated, you
need to be brave and to protect
your rights.

Do you understand?

Just come over, not a problem.

Who is threatening you?
Tell me.

I will go to him.

We are on the side of justice.

They are the ones
that broke the law.
They should be afraid.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

She said that
she's been told by
a Government official

that they are watching
her every move.

I told her she has
nothing to worry about.

We are here
and we will protect her.

She says, you are protecting me
now, but what will I do once you
guys are gone?

[whirring]

[Nanfu] We lost the
trail of the father.

But the protest was a success.

Sparrow once again went
viral with the picture.

People all over the world

made their own versions
of the same sign.

Women's rights activist
Ye Haiyan...

Well known Women's rights
activist Ye Haiyan...

Women's rights activist
Ye Haiyan...

Principal, get a room with me
leave the kids alone.

Women's rights activist
Ye Haiyan in Hainan protesting

With so much attention
focused on the case,

the government began to react.

On May 30th, Women's rights
activist Ye Haiyan

was attacked by a dozen men and
women in her home in Guangxi.

People are saying that this
attack was triggered due to the
event of May 27th

where the principal
of an elementary school
took underage girls to a hotel.

It is deliberate retaliation
by the locals.

[Nanfu] When it happened,

Sparrow was on the
phone with a reporter.

Everything was recorded.

[man] You were there
on the 27th...

[Ye Haiyan]
There are five of them...

There are five women outside
my house harassing me.

[man] So they are
right outside now
harassing you?

[Ye Haiyan] Yes, they are
now inside my home
There are seven of them.

They are hitting me.

Hit her!

Get out of here.

Hit her!

Get out!

This is my house.

This is illegal.

Who's there?

Police!

I don't know what you want or
if you are here to kill me.

Get out of here!

What have I done?
Why are you screaming?

I didn't break any laws,
why are you shouting at me?

We don't care about the law.

[vehicles rumbling]
[people chattering
in foreign language]

-Are you Yaxin?
-Yes.

Everything took place
inside the house?

At first it all took place
inside the house.

Then my mom chased them out
with a knife.

They came in
and started hitting
my mom.

Do you remember what they were
saying as they entered the
house?

It was recorded on the phone.

[Ye Haiyan shouting]

Why are you harassing me and
hitting me?

Why are you filming me?

Go ask the courts.

Ask the police station.

[Nanfu] The people
Sparrow recorded

were the owner of the brothels

where she had worked during
her activism for sex workers.

This is my house!

[shouting continues]

-If you enter, you are
trespassing.
-I didn't enter your home.

Then do whatever you like
outside my home.

I am coming in...

I am here, this is my home.

I am here and if you enter, I
have the right to defend myself.

Your house? Which house?

I'm going to destroy
your phone.

[Nanfu] It seemed
strange to me

that they came knocking
at Sparrow's door

the day after the
Hainan protest.

Even though she
worked in the brothels

more than two years ago.

[zoom, news reel music]

Today we have a special guest,
Ye Haiyan.

Special guest Ye Haiyan,
also known as Hooligan Sparrow.

Why is it during your time of
undercover, you said that you
would provide free sex services.

I work for prevention of Aids.

I do not wish to see any of the
sex workers infected.

So I needed to know if they have
the means to protect themselves.

To know their health status and
environment conditions.

So I must find out for myself.

(Social Visibility)

[woman] Why would you advocate
Legalization of prostitution?

[Ye Haiyan]
If you don't legalize it, these
workers are hidden in the dark.

It is difficult to protect them.

Many of them disappear
and are never seen again.

Have you ever encountered
that kind of situation?

There is someone
I knew that was
killed back in 2006.

People are asking what's the
point? There are so many
people in China.

You are just one person, what
change can you expect?

I am just one person,
but I can
fill up a spot.

[Nanfu] Right
after this interview

Sparrow's office was
raided and vandalized

in the middle of the night.

[Ye Haiyan]
Around 9 p.m.
on the 23rd,

8 men showed up and started
breaking everything.

They warned us not to
reopen the office,
otherwise they will be back.

We have reported this
to the police,
but they said nothing.

Just that they investigated
and that this is normal.

The police said this is nothing,
no need to make a fuss.

I don't believe this is the
doing of the gang, but it is of
the Government.

[Nanfu] Sparrow never found
out who raided her office.

And now, after
the Hainan protest

the brothel owners
were at her door.

I believe they are
breaking the law and that
my safety is at risk.

I tried calling the police and
couldn't get through.

I was given a different number
and now
I would like to make a report.

[Nanfu] The police
arrested Sparrow

and released two
images as evidence.

Accusing her of
assaulting the people

who broke into her apartment.

[Wang]
This is not in accordance
with the law.

All you have is a photo
of an injury.

Not a complete photo.

Whom is the injured party?

Is it for sure the men whom had
the conflict with Ye Haiyan?

You can't prove with that photo.

[buzzing, clicking]

[Nanfu] Over the next few days

I followed lawyer Wang

as she gathered
and filed documents

to sue the police for
unlawful detention.

And to try to free Sparrow.

Detention center
looks like this?

Looks a lot like school,
but darker.

It's terrible.

[Nanfu] We found
Sparrow's daughter Yaxin

waiting at the detention center

with her mother's
boyfriend, Haobo.

[Yaxin] We have been waiting
for a long time, why have
I not seen my mom?

Visitation.

-We are here for visitation.
-They need to check our ID.

Who are you visiting?

Ye Haiyan.

Here is my ID.

And my professional card.

Open it.

Give it to me.

Photography is not allowed here.

Sorry, it's my assistant.
She doesn't know the rules.

You can't shoot here!

[Nanfu] The police
posted a sign on the door,

"No Filming."

I filmed it, using my special
glasses with a micro camera.

I also filmed these guys.

They've been
following us all day.

We request a visitation.

Is the person in charge around?

Not around? Then you come and
collect the documents.

Which documents?

Visitation documentations.

To see Ye Haiyan.

To see Ye Haiyan.

After many tries, we were still
not granted visiting rights.

So I gave up.

Because I had to
catch a flight
back to Beijing,

as I was due in court
for a case.

[rain pattering]
[thunder rumbling]

[Nanfu] Lawyer Wang left.

And I stayed with Yaxin
at Sparrow's apartment.

She was writing as
essay for school

entitled, An
Unforgettable Encounter.

I remember that day when
he came to our house.

He is a big brother
with glasses.

Tall and thin.

I thought he was
my mom's friend.

I found out later
that he was a reporter.

I know what a reporter is.

I was surprised,
as being a reporter is
a great profession.

I had once wanted
to be a reporter.

He asked me
a lot of questions.

For example,
did your mom hurt anyone?

I told him, no.

After the interview,
the article was released.

I couldn't wait to read it.

I was very angry.

He distorted what I had said.

It was like a fictional novel.

He made my mom
out to be a criminal,

who refuse to admit
to her wrongdoing.

It made me really upset.

I was so upset that I wanted
to rip apart the magazine.

Who said reporters write
true stories? Bullshit!

Reporters were my idol,

but there and then
the image was shattered.

It's just like the
image I have of the police.

[vehicles rumbling, honking]

[Nanfu] Over the
next several days

many activists came to
visit Sparrow's apartment

to show their support.

[speaking foreign language]

What is your name?

My name is Zeng Guoyong.

Where are you from?

I am from GuangDong.

You heard of Haiyan?

I know of her by her nickname
Hooligan Sparrow.

She is an activist
for the sex workers.

-Have you seen her in person
before?
-No.

-You have never seen her before?
-No.

I know of her and her
nickname through internet.

So you are here because?

Why are you here?

I am an onlooker, also a part
of society that's looking
to change.

[Nanfu] Zeng Guoyong
was one of the first.

But everyday more
and more people came.

It was hard for me to grasp
everyone's intentions.

[fan whizzing]

[water pattering]

I came today
mainly to discuss with you...

We'll happily go to prison
at any time.

Like Liu Shasha, who's become
a professional prisoner.

It's nothing to us.

[Nanfu] It became clear
to me that this activist

wanted me to leave.

He told me that many
people had been arrested

and interrogated for
trying to visit Sparrow.

He said it was to
dangerous for me

to stay any longer.

What time did you book it for?

One or two o'clock is fine.

Then I will bring you
some breakfast tomorrow...

Finish breakfast and leave
before everyone leaves for work.

You should give me

your hard disk.

I'll give it back to you
in the train.

Do you have it on you?

No.

You haven't shot too much?

No, I think it'll be fine.

[train honks, rumbling]

[Nanfu] I left the next day

and then I started
getting messages

about more activists
being detained.

I'M BEING HELD AT YULIN. THEY'RE
HITTING ME. HELP ME, QUICKLY.

Even my family a
thousand miles away

called to say they were visited
by national security agents

wanting to know where I was.

With Sparrow still detained,

people all over the
world started a campaign

to show their support for her.

It seemed to work.

Sparrow was released
after 13 days in jail.

[vehicles rumbling]

That's when I returned to
Sparrow's home in Bobai city.

Action!

I am Ye Haiyan,
this is my home
and also my office.

This is my desk.

These are related to my works
for the sex workers.

Try to be brief.

My name is Ye Haiyan, this is my
office.

Then open the door, come in...

Go on and say,
"This is where I work."

[Nanfu] Sparrow
was with a reporter

from South China Morning Post.

Her editor had asked
her to do a video.

But she had trouble
with her camera.

And I remember when
I bought this camera

they told me I could
take video with it.

But I just don't
know how to work it.

[Nanfu] So I offered to help.

But I feel that the suppression,
keep it short...

Sexual abuse on girls,
and so on, and that's it.

It's that simple.

I am Ye Haiyan...

I am Ye Haiyan
and this is my office.

I am Ye Haiyan.

First, "I am Ye Haiyan."
Then, you open the door.

I am Ye Haiyan.

[Nanfu] As news spread that
Sparrow had been released,

more reporters came.

Could this be somewhat related
to your upbringing experience...

You started speaking up for
the sex workers back on 2005
or 2006...

When did you get your diploma?

I went in today and pass out
some tissues and a condom...

I do the same exact thing
the next day.

They would wonder why I give
them stuff all the time.

Then we bring up our country,
these stuff are provided to you
by our country.

You tell them that
it is from the government?

Yes we tell them that because
they believe
in the government agencies.

When I was having sex
for free, one guy told me,

"Why are you so nice?
Where are you from?"

I said I was from Beijing,
the government sent me.

I like to have a sense a humor,
don't want it to be too serious.

A prostitute straight
from Beijing, for free.

Communism is great,
even sex is free.

I was worried about you.

I have been quite happy
the last few days.

As long as there is a computer,
I am happy.

Let's go to the park.

-We haven't been to the park
for awhile.
-OK.

[Nanfu] Before they
could go to the park

we could hear crowd
gathering downstairs.

[crowd shouting]

I could barely
understand the dialect.

But they held up signs saying,

"Sparrow you whore,
get out of the city."

[speaking foreign language]

People hired, that's
the phenomenon in China today.

Government has the resources
and they can hire anyone.

Yes, it's me speaking.

I just returned from detention
facility and found crowds
gathered outside my home.

I am concerned about the safety
of my family and friends.

So I am calling to report the
situation and hope you can
protect our safety.

I feel most are not here
on their own,

most are just trying to survive
and don't want to offend anyone.

Personally I have no problem
with the overall situation,

but I cannot forgive myself of
the harm that I have brought
to my kid and family.

I can endure any physical pains

What I cannot endure is seeing
the ugliness of the world

and feeling of despair.

I think that part is most
harmful.

We have long called the police,
but they have not showed.

People downstairs
are causing chaos.

I request that you clear
the crowds downstairs.

What's your badge's number?

[Nanfu] The police finally
showed up an hour later.

But it had nothing to do
with our calls for help.

-So you are arresting us all?
-I didn't say that.

You're here
for an interrogation.

You're a lawyer, you know that
if you refuse to show your ID,

we'll take you in.

It's your decision.

Fine, take me in.

Show me the summons,
and I'll go.

I am asking you for
your identification.

ID.

If you refuse to provide,
that's your business.

You think about it.

Are you threatening me?

I am not threatening you.

[Nanfu] When the lawyers
handed over their IDs

I knew it was time to switch
to my special glasses.

[crinkling]

Why are you wearing the glasses?

-Take them off.
-Why? What's with them?

Let me see them.

Why?

Your glasses...

They're just glasses.

It's just regular glasses.

Why would I give them to you?

They look sophisticated.

[Nanfu] The police
broke my glasses.

But they didn't find
the memory card.

Since the police
didn't do anything

about the crowd downstairs,

we went to the police station

to apply for citizen
protection for Sparrow.

I was hoping the police can
assist and conduct an
investigation.

You tell me who they are.

I don't know who they are.

I don't know
who they are either.

Weren't you just there?

I didn't see anything.

I didn't see anyone, can you
provide some evidence?

The police took pictures, too!

Those are our pictures.

You are the party involved,
it is your responsibility to
provide evidence.

Agent Zhong, are you mad
because you're hungry?

I'm not mad. I just want proof.

I told you I am not authorized
to accept your documents.

You can't? Why were you
at Ye Haiyan's earlier?

I didn't want to.
Why did you call us?

Please get out!

[Nanfu] One of the lawyers

photographed the officer's
ID photo on the wall.

This was posted on social media

with the caption explaining

that the police
refused to accept

Sparrow's application
for citizen protection.

The message was
reposted 1,500 times.

With 550 comments.

You are deliberately creating
obstacles for the police.

First, you must understand that
China is not a society with
rules of law.

L'écriture n'est pas jolie.

[Nanfu] When we got
back to the apartment

we found a note
from the landlord.

It was an eviction notice.

I need to find a new place
urgently. I need to move
as soon as possible.

We have to move.

I have spent two
to three years here
with my daughter.

We felt it was
quite peaceful then.

We are just like any other
normal family.

[rustling]

[scrunching]

At first I told my kid that if
we can't stay in this place,

we will just go live
on the streets.

After some consideration,
she said to me...

if it is not life threatening,
it is okay to sleep
on the streets.

[Nanfu] That night Sparrow
had a going away party.

[upbeat, rhythmic music]

[chattering in
foreign language]
[laughing]

On a winter's night,

some henchmen
destroyed my house.

It happened quickly.

Those men worked quickly.

They left nothing but rubble.

I have no more home.

They left nothing but rubble.

I have no home anymore.

[meows]

[light, somber music]

[Nanfu] Sparrow
traveled 300 miles

to Guangdong to get
away from the harassment

and to find a new home
for herself and Yaxin.

This guy in yellow shirt,

an activist named Huang,

helped Sparrow find an
apartment in Nanlang city.

During the time that
Sparrow was detained

Huang was one of the activists

who stayed at
Sparrow's apartment.

There he is, in the
back with no shirt on.

And here he's taking
a picture of me.

I didn't talk to him back then

because the first time I
met him he made me nervous.

[growling]

[speaking foreign language]

Huang took an
interest in my camera

and was curious
about film making.

[vehicles rumbling]
[speaking foreign language]

[train rumbling]

With Sparrow and Yaxin
safe in their new home,

I took the night
train to Shanghai

to arrange my return visa
to the United States.

I texted a friend I was coming.

My friend texted me back.

The police are looking
for you everywhere.

[coughing]

One, two...

One, two...

Today, the first time police
directly targeted me.

I couldn't stay at a hotel

so I hid in a friend's office,

sleeping on the floor.

That's my shoes and blanket.

I wanted to visit
the police station around noon.

Ask the police officers
who are around,

do you know who I am?

"She is in Shanghai,
do you know?"

"We are looking for her..."

"Tell her we are looking
for her."

I realized anyone I
contacted could be at risk.

I was also worried
about my footage.

Because the FedEx
people told me

that all media mail
has to be inspected

at customs before
it leaves China.

I don't know what method of
transportation to use to send
it out.

Sounds like someone
is knocking on the door.

I don't know if its just me
being overly sensitive?

I left in a hurry by bus.

I couldn't take the
train because in China

you can only buy a train
ticket with your ID.

That's how they must have
tracked me to Shanghai.

I wasn't the only
one on the run.

Sparrow sent me this picture.

She and Yaxin and
everything they owned

abandoned along the highway.

I told them I would meet
them in Guangzhou city.

[dark, mysterious music]

[car door clicking]

We all reunited
around midnight.

A friend of Sparrow's
offered her apartment

while she was away.

Somehow, someone
knew we were coming.

I don't know if its just me
being overly sensitive?

[man]
You can't stay
in this neighborhood.

Go! You're not welcome, here.

Let's go up.

[Nanfu] We have keys!

We have keys!

Hurry up!

Where's Huang?
Did he stay downstairs?

Don't worry. Huang will come.
It's a private building.

What floor is this?

Is this 401?

Go up, don't stop!

-They're hitting me!
-Quickly, don't stop!

They got Huang!
I have to go help him.

Help!

What do we do?

Help!

This is 401!

Quick!

Quick!

I am so scared.

Turn the lights on.

Don't open the door to anyone.

Are there windows?
I need to find a window.

To shoot downstairs.

Maybe up there?

-Can you shoot?
-Yes.

-What's going on?
-They are captured.

Be careful.

[Nanfu] Yaxin and I didn't
know what was happening below.

All we knew that Sparrow, Haobo
and Huang were taken away.

Throughout the night men
kept knocking at the door

and I was so afraid
that they would break in

that I took my camera apart
and hid all the pieces.

Yaxin and I couldn't
fall asleep.

so she started to tell
me about the picture.

I am not certain myself, how
many times we were evicted.

We'd just taken a shower
when the hotel kicked us out.

So, we changed hotels,

it was the third.

We got out of the third hotel
and someone intercepted us.

He took us back to the condo
and got rid of our things.

Mom and I were squeezed
in the back.

The driver was an undercover
cop, he threatened us,

"You're not welcome
in Guangzhou.

If I see you again,
I'll break your legs."

Were you scared?

Not really.
I thought it was ridiculous.

What were we going to do
with all the furniture?

Come on, let's sleep.

Alright.

[Nanfu] There are still
four to five men
guarding downstairs.

Damn it.

I saw it through the door.

Where are they?

They are in the
garden downstairs.

I'm taking
the magnifying glass.

I can't see.

Look.

[Nanfu] Later that day,
Sparrow, Haobo and Huang

were brought back
to the apartment.

Security saw us off
to the train station.

They said, never, ever
come to this city again.

The next station is
Chenzhouxi station.

[announcer] Ladies
and gentleman,

the next station is
Chenzhouxi station.

What?

What did he say?

Is it expensive?

It's none
of your business, kid.

Nanfu!

[Nanfu] By the time we
reached the Hubei province

Sparrow and Yaxin only had a
few bags left to their name.

Sparrow decided to go
back to her hometown.

The small village
that she hadn't seen

for over a decade.

[fire crackers popping]

[honking]
[speaking foreign language]

Is this to welcome you?

Certainly not.

I'm kidding.

Which road are we taking?
The one at the back?

Which one?

There's a new building, here.

Mom!

[Nanfu] This is
the only footage

I have of Sparrow's mother.

Later as we got settled

Sparrow asked me to not film
too much in the village.

She wasn't sure how much
people knew about her.

She also wanted to
protect her parents

from the complexities
of her activism.

[Ye Haiyan] Whatever
happened out there, I do not
want my family to know.

I want her to see only the
simple part of the life.

Like any other
normal farm girls

living a simple life.

None of your thoughts and
visions needs to be shared
with the family.

It's like our connection with
family is only about survival.

Elders only concern is that
their descendants
live a better life.

Descendants wants to work hard
and give elders a better life.

That is all.

Other society issues are rarely
thought about or of concern

with a normal rural families.

[indistinct]

None of my family members will
understand me.

Although it can be lonely,

but home is always where you
feel the most safe.

[crickets chirping]

I'm encouraging you morally!

[birds chirping]
[rooster crowing]

[water splashing]

[Ye Haiyan]
Home still feels the same.

The only thing being
that as a married daughter
returning home,

people tend to criticize.

Thirty some years.

That bridge has been around
since I was little,
I am 38 this year.

That bridge is 30
or 40 years old.

I was born to a rural family,

I am considered the lowest rung
of the society and most poor.

My family are all farmers.

When there is illness and can't
afford medical care, their
only choice is to die.

I also see that when under
pressure, suicide is their way
out.

This is happening
all around me.

Because I worked
with sex workers,

What drives them
to make that decision.

Poverty is one
very strong reason.

I see a lot of rural family
women sacrificing themselves
for their family.

How do they sacrifice
themselves?

For example, give up their
chance for education,

marry someone they have no
feelings for,

but it can help with their
family's financial situation.

So when others scold them,

using morality as a reason
to put them down.

I fully understand the
sacrifices they have made

so I want to stand up for them,
for the unfair treatment they
endure.

It's the cruel reality.

Tie your hair, it's loose.

It's been a month
since we cut them.

How many people will see this?

I don't know.

May be millions of people.

[Ye Haiyan]
My daughter has spent most of
her time with me.

I tell her all the time that we
will be together through
thick and thin.

She may have more experience
than kids her own age.

Because I want her to be
conscious of the world.

When she is smarter
than I had anticipated,

her understanding of the world
is greater than I thought she
would.

[birds cawing]

Mom, I cut it!

Great. You're really smart.

Get rid of what's filthy.

[sizzling]

[Nanfu] While Sparrow
was in the village,

breaking news came in about
the rape case in Hainan.

The story of the principal
and six little girls

that set us down this
road in the first place.

Yesterday, Hainan province...

Hainan elementary school
principal taking girls
to hotel case...

First instance verdict...

Hainan Waning elementary
principal case...

and government official
taking girls to the hotel...

The case was held
in a closed court

and verdict for both case
was delivered.

Chen committed rape and was
sentenced to 13 years
and 6 months.

Deprived of political rights
3 years.

The other defendant...

Feng was sentenced to 11 years
and 6 months on rape charges.

[Nanfu] A few days later,
lawyer Wang got a phone call

from the father of
one of the girls.

The man she had
tried to contact.

I went back to Hainan Island
with her to get his story.

[man]
At 2:30 p.m. on May 8th...

a teacher called to inform that
my daughter was not in
school today.

Later was told that the kids
were found

The kids were found somewhat
unconscious,

on the bed and not responding.

Police brought the kids in for
questioning.

The questioning took place

from 11:30 p.m. till 7 a.m.
the next morning.

That was then we found out
what had happened.

That was when your
daughter told you?

She told her mom, she was in
there accompanying her.

I was not in there, as she would
not speak with me present.

Her mom was in there with her.

[indistinct]

That's when we know
what had happened.

She was in there with her mom,
I had no idea what's going on.

She said that the principal...
She didn't say much after she
came out of questioning.

She said our daughter
is not a little girl anymore,
she's a woman.

That was what
she said to me.

I want to castrate
the principal.

Why did the principal take six
little girls to the hotel?

These little girls
are actually gifts.

They were given to the
Government officials as
gifts.

Some say this is one
enormous shady deal,

a scandal.

This is said to be
very common in China.

This is said to be happening all
around the country,

where education leaders are
sending young girls as gifts
to Government officials.

I don't understand how China
could have corrupted this badly.

It's like...

The Government officials are
treating these girls like a
fashion trend.

They have fallen to the bottom
of the pit.

At the time,
many lawyers wanted

to expose these shady deals.

By getting involved and conduct
investigations,

but they had no way in.

Same situation
for many other cases.

No way in.

[indistinct]

It weakens
as it proceeds further.

and then...

after the second trial
and verdict was out

The parents of the girls
finally have enough courage
to approach the lawyers.

You cannot appeal at this time,

there is time restriction
on appeal,
not whenever you like.

It says, "In ten days."

That's it.

Look here.

"Appeal ten days
after the verdict."

That was June, 20th.
It's done. It's June 30.

Your lawyer should have
explained these documents
to you.

The government gave you
a lawyer.
Why didn't you use him?

After the trial,
he stopped answering my calls.

I couldn't find him.

[Nanfu] I asked him why
he couldn't meet us before.

The Government was
monitoring our calls.

He said for us not to get
in contact with media

and lawyers.

Said for us to relax and take
care what needs to be done.

They were following us around.

Who was following you around?

Government people.

Are the police in uniform or
in plain clothes?

Plain clothes.

[Nanfu] He told us that
he knew us from the protest.

I went to the footage
and found him.

And there he was,

reading the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child

handed out by lawyer Wang.

My thoughts are...

Understand who is there

and whom can help us.

Do you know Ye Haiyan?

I've seen her on the Internet.

What did you see?

I read that she was detained
in GuangXi.

Do you know
why she was detained?

Do you know
why she was detained?

I don't really know.

I heard that Ye Haiyan was...

She sleeps with men.

That's what I heard.

What was it?

Sleeps with men.

Prostitute?

She's an activist
for sex workers.

Do you know
her current situation?

I don't know.

[rustling]

[Ye Haiyan] Many people told me
that the road I have selected
is very rough.

You want to be who you are,
there are bound to be
hardship ahead.

Deadly blow, violence...

Maybe it's my personality,
I am quite tough.

I stand for what I believe
and will fight to the end.

Even if you lock me up or kill
me, I will not change my mind.

[fire crackers bursting]

[cymbal chiming]

[Nanfu] Lawyer Wang
and I took a night bus

800 miles back to Bobai city.

Where she was representing
Sparrow in her lawsuit

against the police for
unlawful detainment.

[light, somber music]

[vehicles honking]
[rumbling]

-Where are you going?
-To the courthouse.

[Nanfu] We all knew the result

before we even got there.

I wondered why she even
bothered to do this.

[Wang] What we pursuit
is to promote
the legal culture,

if we allow the law enforcement
to continue unlawful detainment

there will be consequences.

Even if we fail, we need to let
the people know that what they
did is illegal.

Let the people be the judge,
who had broken the law.

[Nanfu] I couldn't
get into the court

so I decided to
film from the street

with Sparrow's friend Huang,

who also came for the trial.

[vehicles rumbling]
[speaking foreign language]

Are you filming me?

Stop!

[Nanfu] I thought
it was strange

when he started filming me.

Then I realized,

it wasn't me he was filming.

What is it?

You have never
seen a camera before?

No.

They sell them
at that digital center place.

We need to take photos, please
move out of the way.

It wouldn't be good if we
accidentally catch you on
camera.

[man] If you photograph me,
I will break the camera.

[Nanfu] But you are
standing in the way.

Don't even try
or I'll crush you!

You're in the way.

[man] Do you believe
that I will break your camera?

[Nanfu] I believe you.

You want to get
out of here alive?

Get her camera!

I forbid you to touch it.

Give it to us!

Give us your camera!

-Are you shooting?
-I'm not shooting.

I'm reading my texts.

Let's go.
There's no need to fight.

Take her camera!
She has to give it to us!

You can't go.

Who gave you permission?

Stop!

Who said you could go?

Go to hell!

[flapping, chirping]

[Nanfu] The police
finally got my camera

in front of the court.

They erased the
footage from that day.

Huang helped me escape.

And I smuggled the rest of my
footage out of the country.

[man] The studio
took more than 3,600 photos

of the 2,872 items.

Of which 603 carefully selected

images make up the wallpaper.

On July 6th, 2013

secret police kidnapped
Ye Haiyan and her daughter,

abandoning them by
the side of the road

with all of their belongings.

Ye Haiyan is a feminist
activist who has

strong belief in human rights
and freedom of expression

[Nanfu] Sparrow's
belongings eventually

made their way to New York

as part of an exhibition.

The exact scene along the
highway was reconstructed.

[people chattering]

[light, somber music]

Back in China, Huang
bought his own camera.

He told me, when you are
repressed and defenseless

the only thing you can do is
to document the atrocities.

[dark, thumping music]