Bitter Rice
A compassionate account of how troubled teens tough out in a Chinese juvenile reform school
There's no way out - your every move is being watched and to survive your loyalty must be to the system, not to your friends. This isn't an Orwellian nightmare, it's the Peach Reform School. Filming inside the school for over a year, this intimate doc gets under the skin of China's extreme juvenile correctional establishments for the first time. From terrified 11-year-old Wenjun, to teenage secret lovers, Lei-gong and Chanjuan, and the rough but conflicted school instructor, Zhou Hai; intimate access to these characters reveals how everyone is a victim in a system that sets love and friendship against obedience and order.
Festivals and Awards
Taiwan International Documentary Festival | Official Selection
Festivals and Awards
Taiwan International Documentary Festival | Official Selection