Coronavirus in China: new film praises Wuhan ahead of lockdown anniversary
- State-backed documentary follows residents and medical staff as they battled to contain the Covid-19 outbreak
- City where disease first emerged endured a 76-day lockdown early last year
China is rolling out a state-backed film praising Wuhan ahead of the anniversary of the 76-day lockdown in the central city where the coronavirus was first detected.
The documentary Days and Nights in Wuhan features contributions from 30 filmmakers portraying the suffering and sacrifices made by the city’s 11 million residents, medical staff and front-line workers as they battled the virus that began racing through the city in December 2019.
The film is one of at least three documentaries released about the Wuhan lockdown, including Coronation by activist artist Ai Weiwei, who now lives abroad following a campaign of harassment by the Chinese Communist Party.
While Days and Nights in Wuhan may benefit from strong state support, Ai’s Coronation has been rejected by festivals, cinemas and streaming services. He attributes the phenomenon to fears over offending the Communist Party, which controls both what films can be shown in China and what Chinese films can be displayed abroad.
The lockdown imposed on January 23, 2020, was eventually extended to surrounding areas in Hubei province, confining some 56 million people to their homes.
