In China today over 80 million people have been born with or have developed a physical or mental disability. In some cases their disability has stopped them having access to standard education and employment, but mostly it is the assumptions others have about their abilities and the discrimination they face in all areas of life which holds them back. A Helping Hand is one of five video profiles from subjects interviewed in “We Are Different, We Are the Same.”
Part V of this series takes place in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan with Gong Changxiang, a mentally disabled man working in a vocational center.
To learn more about this series see this post.
“We Are Different, We Are the Same” is a web documentary created to help break down barriers and stigmas surrounding China’s large disabled population. The video gives a snap shot of disabled persons living throughout China.
In China today over 80 million people have been born with or have developed a physical or mental disability. In some cases their disability has stopped them having access to standard education and employment, but mostly it is the assumptions others have about their abilities and the discrimination they face in all areas of life which holds them back. “Hello My Name Is …” is one of five video profiles from subjects interviewed in “We Are Different, We Are the Same.”
Part IV of this series takes place in Fuyang, the small city of 10 million in Anhui Province with Yuan Weiwei who was born with Cerebral Palsy. This video is a bit different and focuses on the family of the subject. This is also my favorite of the series.
To learn more about this series see this post.
“We Are Different, We Are the Same” is a web documentary created to help break down barriers and stigmas surrounding China’s large disabled population. The video gives a snap shot of disabled persons living throughout China.
Part IV of this series was the hardest of the videos. It also turned out to be my favorite.
The task immediately became a bit daunting when we found out our subject who we were meant to be profiling — couldn’t talk much.
While Weiwei was not afraid of the camera, his speech and dialogue were not developed enough to get entire sentences out of him. He also was not the most mobile of our subjects. He had trouble getting around, which made our filming locations limited.
However, even given these limitations the story developed in front of us into a rather heart warming story. The camera ended up turning to his mother to help drive the narrative, while Weiwei would maintain the visual story.
After a couple different versions of the script, we finally settled on the version you see here. After this we went into post production where the hardest decision was the music.
From an audience perspective, or film makers perspective, I’m not sure if people realize how hard it is to pick the correct music. It will instantly change the mood of your film and can even change the message. In many ways, I think the music is just as important as the images.
Our choice here, which came from stocksound.net, is bordering on cheesy — or too much. The story in itself is actually quite sad. However, the mother’s continued support and optimism is pretty inspiring. Given the dichotomous nature of those two feelings, it was very tricky to decide if we were bending the story toward an unreal truth with this music. There are a couple other versions with completely different songs, which won’t see the light of day, but they did truly change the mood of the film.
When we settled on this music, the images and pacing of the story were cut to fit and the product ended up being my favorite of the series — including the main movie.
Three weeks after these videos published on the premier of a Youku Channel, we got word that a local NGO in Anhui saw the video and actually approached Weiwei’s family to help. As a journalist and film maker this is great to hear. That our documentation of a live may have helped a family. Hopefully, more details on this later …
In China today over 80 million people have been born with or have developed a physical or mental disability. In some cases their disability has stopped them having access to standard education and employment, but mostly it is the assumptions others have about their abilities and the discrimination they face in all areas of life which holds them back. China Doll is one of five video profiles from subjects interviewed in “We Are Different, We Are the Same.”
Part III of this series takes place in Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui with Jiang Yuqiu — who has brittle bone syndrome
To learn more about this series see this post.
“We Are Different, We Are the Same” is a web documentary created to help break down barriers and stigmas surrounding China’s large disabled population. The video gives a snap shot of disabled persons living throughout China.
In China today over 80 million people have been born with or have developed a physical or mental disability. In some cases their disability has stopped them having access to standard education and employment, but mostly it is the assumptions others have about their abilities and the discrimination they face in all areas of life which holds them back. Working Dreams is one of five video profiles from subjects interviewed in “We Are Different, We Are the Same.”
Part II of this series takes place South of Beijing with Li Chao — a mentally handicap chef.
To learn more about this series see this post.
“We Are Different, We Are the Same” is a web documentary created to help break down barriers and stigmas surrounding China’s large disabled population. The video gives a snap shot of disabled persons living throughout China.
Li Chao, the subject of part II of this series was a pleasure to film.
Although he appears serious during a couple moments of the film, I can assure you — as soon as the camera would stop rolling he was smiling and laughing. This was really nice to see — regardless of any of the hardships he had faced, he continued to smile his way through life.
Support from his family and coworkers was also great to see and I believe the result of the compassion people have shown him, has resulted in a normal life for Li Chao.
He goes to work. He is married. He hangs out with his family. Really, there was very little difference between this man and any other, despite his disability.
In China today over 80 million people have been born with or have developed a physical or mental disability. In some cases their disability has stopped them having access to standard education and employment, but mostly it is the assumptions others have about their abilities and the discrimination they face in all areas of life which holds them back. Blind Ambition is one of five video profiles from subjects interviewed in “We Are Different, We Are the Same.”
Part I of this series starts in West Beijing with Han Yao — a visually impaired stenographer.
“We Are Different, We Are the Same” is a web documentary created to help break down barriers and stigmas surrounding China’s large disabled population. The video gives a snap shot of disabled persons living throughout China.
Part I was perhaps the easiest of the videos from this series. Our subject Han Yao was very easy to work with and completely open to us filming her life.
Her husband was also a big help. He joined us for the day and interestingly enough, he is also visually impaired. Perhaps more interesting is their combined interest in photography.
At some point in the video we show them taking pictures but had we had more time, we would have gone deeper into this. Both of them enjoy the art of photography. You might think this hobby would not be the first choice for people who can’t see through the camera, but from this shoot, I learned this is a bad assumption.
While the couple does have limited vision (what was described to us as “about the width of three fingers”) they take pictures based on other senses. Its a very interesting process to watch.
The subject’s interest in photography made it a little easier for us to photograph her. Some of our other subjects were not nearly as comfortable around the cameras — but Han Yao was completely used to it and the effect was shown on the video.
I think Hao Yao’s confidence and accomplishments are to be admired by all. Especially in the physical and mental environment of China, to achieve so much is very impressive.
In the fall of of 2011 I was approached by Save the Children to help tell a story. This story would be an ordinary story — a snapshot into the lives of five different people. However, those five people were not exactly ordinary. The subjects all had physical or mental handicaps.
But what was ordinary about these people — was their desire to live life to its fullest. They wanted the same things all other Chinese people wanted. They wanted jobs and financial security. They wanted a husband or wife. And they wanted to be treated equally and with dignity. While their lives were a little different, they were in many ways the same as all other people.
“We Are Different, We Are the Same” is a web documentary created to help break down barriers and stigmas surrounding China’s large disabled population.
In China today over 80 million people have been born with or have developed a physical or mental disability. In some cases their disability has stopped them having access to standard education and employment, but mostly it is the assumptions others have about their abilities and the discrimination they face in all areas of life which holds them back.
Through contributions from Save the Children China, the European Union and Kingfisher — friend and journalist Kit Gillet and myself got the opportunity to help create short videos to help show this ordinary side of China’s disabled population. We didn’t want to portray these people as heroes or create sympathy. Instead, the idea was to show the actual reality of their lives — and minimize superficial and sensational ideas surrounding them.
Toward the end of the main feature Li Weihong, Vice Chairman of the China Association of the Blind says:
“I think disabled people can participate equally in normal life and through their efforts help others. I think having a disability is not bad luck but simply an inconvenience. We can do a great job and be involved completely and equally, as long as we are provided with a barrier-free environment and help in overcoming our disabilities.”
This quote summed up a big part of our goal. While showing the ordinary side of these people, we also had to show the different side — as well as the challenging side.
We wanted to make an integrated video package which would allow a big picture view — but also give the opportunity to see the individual peoples lives. With the help of Save the Children we found five subjects in Beijing, Anhui and Sichuan who we could spend some time with filming their daily routines. After filming them we found a couple experts to ask about issues surrounding China’s disabled population. This accumulated to about 1 TB of footage which we split up into six videos. The first, embedded above is the main piece titled “We Are DIfferent, We Are the Same.”
This 10-minute feature gives an over view of the current situation for disabled people living in China. After piecing this together, we made five additional short four-minute videos that show the ordinary aspects of the people’s lives seen in this film.
The video profiles include a visually impaired stenographer in Beijing, a teacher in Hefei with brittle bone syndrome, a mentally handicapped chef outside of Beijing, a boy with cerebral palsy in Fuyang and a ping-pong playing, car washing man in Chengdu. We talked to their families, their spouses and their friends and coworkers. We saw their daily triumphs and hardships while at the same time, saw how society was viewing them as they went through their daily routines.
I believe the situation for disabled people China is immensely better than in was in the past. However, the population still faces great hardships and barriers to having normal lives. Many of these hardships come from China’s infrastructure and environment.
Li Weihong, goes on to say:
“The biggest problem, As I see it, is to form an environment where the blind can see, the deaf can hear and where the physically-handicapped can get around. If that can happen then the disabilities of those with handicaps will be gone and they can live a life like any other person.”
I Believe Weihong is talking about more than a physical environment here. And while it is easy to look at China as a developing country with issues that need tending, I think many of these same issues still exist in the West.
Please enjoy “We Are DIfferent, We Are the Same” and help share these videos with people of all countries to help create greater awareness of issues facing disabled people around the planet.
Barriers and stigmas can only be broken with dialogue and awareness.
Check back throughout this week for the five shorter video profiles.
People say to me so often, “Jane how can you be so peaceful when everywhere around you people want books signed, people are asking these questions and yet you seem peaceful,” and I always answer that it is the peace of the forest that I carry inside. — Dr. Jane Goodall
Recently, Jane Goodall gave me a kiss … to clarify, this was the type of kiss your grandmother gives you on the cheek.
Ok, fair enough, you say, but why were you with Jane Goodall?
By empower young populations with knowledge and passion, Goodall’s presence in China has helped fuel other NGO’s to begin to operate.
Goodall’s message of peace has inspired young young and old generations throughout the country. There are now over 600 individual Roots & Shoots groups in China working to improve social and environmental conditions. The groups strive to create better conditions for animal populations, the environment and the human community.
This was my third time working with Shanghai Roots & Shoots. Earlier this year I created a video documenting their work in Inner Mongolia fighting desertification and more recently in Anhui Province, where the NGO is helping to diminish poverty through education. As always, this NGO has their metaphorical sh*t together. The entire weekend with Dr. Goodall was orchestrated to a T, allowing as many people to meet Dr. Jane as possible. I point this out, because its actually quite rare. Many NGO’s are chasing their tales in trying to stay organized (which given the Chinese social, environmental and political environment is not always easy).
Following Dr. Jane around was actually exhausting — her schedule being completely full form sun up to sun down. Speech after speech, award after award, meet — greet — repeat. While this isn’t the most exciting thing to photograph, what is exciting was to see Dr. Jane’s energy (at age 76) and the public’s reaction to her presence. In between the hand shakes and banquets, I did get a lot of time to have “small chat” with Jane. Riding around in a mini van together all weekend.
After meeting her I was truly impressed by her ethics and character. She was truly inspirational in her hope and consistent effort to make a better and sustainable world. I’ve met lots of other celebrities — however, you don’t often get a chance to meet a celebrity like Goodall. She is a celebrity for different reasons than most. She’s not an athlete, an actress or a rich heir to a hotel company. In fact — she is really just famous for being a good person (and a smart one). From a pure ethical and intellectual merit, Dr. Jane is known around the globe.’
This is all great, but it still doesn’t explain why she kissed you, you say?
Beyond being inspirational and motivational, Dr. Goodall is also just about the sweetest woman you’ll ever meet. We also shared a lot in common. In had never occurred to me until I met her, this lady is probably not so much a “city person.” This is the type of person who can spend weeks in the wilderness observing animals. A woman who has probably spent more of her life outdoors than inside.
Although I live in a quaint city full 20 million people, I would also not describe me as a “city person.” I too, like to hike, camp and have a good adventure in the outdoors. Although, I can guarantee that she likes monkeys more than I do. Nonetheless, we just got along.
It was a real pleasure hanging out with Dr. Jane for 3 days and on my way back to Beijing, she thanked me and gave me a hug and kiss. C’est la fin.
Please take a moment to go visit the Asia Society China Green site here and the Asia Society’s main site here. There are tons of great videos, photos and reports from around China and Asia.
Also, two great stories by China Daily reporter Erik Neilson on Goodall’s visit here and here.
Below are some stills from the weekend with Dr. Jane. The images show a variety of events from inside the Shanghai Expo to the historic Bund area. You are looking at students, volunteers, parents and the general public reacting to Jane’s speeches and presence.
Last week I spent some time with NGO Shanghai Roots & Shoots in Yangshan Village, Anhui Province. The above video is the product of this trip. Here is the story behind it, click photos to embiggin them.
A long journey
Getting to Yangshan Village reminded me once again, how difficult getting to rural areas can be in China. After about two hours into our flight from Beijing to Anhui Province, the pilot announced he couldn’t land the plane in our planned destination city due to weather. At the news of this information, it all of a sudden became acceptable for passengers to begin smoking cigarettes on the plane, which I thought was very entertaining — a glimpse into 1970’s air travel perhaps.
In stead, the plane landed in Nanjing, a city just West of Shanghai. We had the choice to wait for the plane to takeoff and fly back to Hefei or forfeit our ticket. Not wanting to waste anytime we decided to attempt to get to Hefei by land instead of air.
After almost swimming to a bus through thick rain, we arrived at a train station jammed packed from people avoiding the massive amounts of water coming from the sky. The general Chinese travel chaos was in full force, with ephemeral and evasive queues and the normal population of people who look like they have spent many days at the station. Although we bought train tickets, while waiting for the train we decided to try to rent a person (with a car). This was clearly a seller’s market and prices were way over the top. We really lucked out here when our driver in Hefei offered to come to Nanjing and pick us up (about 3 hours away). After waiting for 3 hours he arrived and we began our 10 hour car ride to Yangshan Village. It looked like this (for 10 hours):
While I’m sure I’ve been on more dangerous car rides, this one featured our driver speeding up the side of a mountain at 120 km per hour, with no guard railings, seemingly hydroplaning continually for hours on end. However, he did have his 4-way flashers on, which I was sure would keep me safe. From our 5 am departure time from Beijing, we arrived in Yangshan Village around 2 am the next day.
Officially, the average income of a villager in Yangshan Village, Anhui Province, China is 1,200 yuan per year ($177). However, villagers there said it was 700 yuan per year (less than $100). So apart from a single small store that thankfully sold coca-cola, there was no commerce in this village; ergo, no hotels.
We slept at Yangshan Elementary School on a classroom floor. Although I only had about 3 hours of sleep, I woke up the next morning to a break in the rain. It lasted about 4 hours, and would be the only break in the rain for an entire week. However, it was a great break. As the clouds opened up I had a wander around the village before people had woken up. Fog, mist and a vibrant sky made some pretty neat landscapes.
This type of light, combined with moisture creates great layers of fog for landscape photography. Here are other examples of this from the Sierra Nevada range or Malaysia.
The sub-tropical environment also creates some pretty interesting bamboo forests. The bamboo is much more “tree-like” than the species I have seen in the South Pacific or Southeast Asia.
Structures ranged greatly from “house with many walls” to “house with some walls” to “hut with ladder.”
This peaceful serene environment would soon come to an end when 50 Yangshan Village children would come rip-roaring down the street. This is why I was here …
The Anhui Poverty Alleviation Project
To combat the multigenerational cycle of poverty in Yangshan, Shanghai Roots & Shoots sends volunteers to teach children and create infrastructure. Five years ago, they built a school. Since then, they have been continually returning to help the village during the summer.
Most of the students’ parents don’t live in Yangshan Village. When the villagers get old enough to work as laborers, most will go off to big cities leaving their children with the grandparents. This makes for an interesting demographic in the city — everyone is either really young or really old. Regardless, they are all photogenic. The children especially kind of go off the cuteness chart. Since the kids don’t have their parents around, the volunteers of this program end up acting as big brothers and sisters.
The reason I believe this program is successful is its multidimensional effort to help impoverished people. The combination of efforts from hardware to education helps now — and down the road. This year, the NGO made a new bathroom for the school.
This is the old bathroom …
This is the new bathroom …
While the new school and new bathroom are surely a huge step up, watching the children in class was also pretty amazing. The students were far more engaged than at some urban schools I’ve been to. I’m not sure if this enthusiasm is quite as strong when the volunteers aren’t there, but regardless the villagers and students loved having the NGO around.
In the video at the top, towards the end you see a bunch of photographs flash quickly by. The collection of “cute kid” photos I came back with was immense. Here’s some of my favorite that appear in the video, but only for .4 seconds.
If you were wonder, the song used in the video is a classic exercise song that you hear throughout China in the morning hours.
Although there was some tough weather and tough shooting/sleeping conditions, this shoot ended up being a lot of fun and I’m glad I could see Shanghai Roots & Shoots at work again.
… yes, I do …
Last week I donated some photographs to Thai friend and Beijinger @Napatra at the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center. The photos are going be used to help the local NGO’s visual communication and also help promote an upcoming event called “Do you hutong?”
I got involved after some photos I took of some destroyed hutongs circulated a little around town. See that blog entry here. Now, we’re hoping to collaborate and create a multimedia presentation on their projects and for China Daily. To see some of the photography donated to CHP visit my China portfolio of my main site here.
I’m helping to give a shout out to artists interested in helping spread awareness of the value of culture and history. CHP is looking for artists to get involved with their July 17 event. Please help and pass this link along to other Beijingers or people who might be interested. Also available are PDF versions of the information below to download and pass along to people who might be interested:
Beijing’s landscape is dramatically changing. Gone are the hutongs, once characteristic of the city, as well as the way of life associated with courtyard living. Now, ubiquitous towering skyscrapers dominate instead, leaving much of China’s rich cultural heritage at risk. Lack of awareness and enforcement of Chinese heritage-protection laws, which are well conceived but poorly implemented, are factors facing the capital city in its effort to balance the old with the new. Rapid economic development and social change have forced redevelopment of the built environment and, the Beijing of years past is now an urban center with splendor and style but, many believe, no soul.
About Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) CHP is a pioneering Chinese NGO that empowers local communities to preserve their cultural heritage. CHP gives Chinese people a voice through capacity building, education, training, networking, and support. Current projects focus on protecting old Beijing.
About Do You Hutong?
To highlight the importance of preserving Beijing’s unique cultural heritage, CHP celebrates with Do You Hutong? – a cocktail and fundraising party featuring a signature collection of individually designed courtyard (siheyuan) gate artworks available for purchase by silent auction.
CHP and Do You Hutong? Identified the courtyard gate as the centerpiece of this event as a nod to the days and people of old Beijing. It is also a look ahead to saving what remains of a country with one of the richest cultures in the world.
CHP is inviting selected artists/designers to volunteer time and talent to a finished piece of art to donate to the event. Working from a clay model of a traditional courtyard gate, this symbolic ‘canvas’ provides a platform for individual, artistic and interpretive design. The final collection of custom artworks will be exhibited at one of the most anticipated Beijing events of the summer – Do You Hutong? – 19:00 – 23:00, 17 July, 2010. Proceeds from entry ticket and silent auction sales will benefit CHP.
How to Participate
CHP is providing a simple, clay model courtyard gate to each participating artist/designer. Each participant is then given the challenge to create a final piece of artwork celebrating the hutong and old Beijing tradition and lifestyle based on individual interpretation and desire. The 3-D clay model is approximately 35cm x 45cm x 35cm and weighs more than 15kg.
Artists/designers may use any additional materials to produce the final piece of art. All additional materials used are the financial responsibility of the participating artist. Please keep in mind that the model is designed for tabletop display only.
Do You Hutong? is open to all invited artists and designers – local, foreign, established, emerging and all who create across a variety of media and disciplines.
The Do You Hutong? event provides a platform for independent thinking and creativity. In this spirit, CHP encourages all participants to produce tasteful and mindful work.
Submissions are open by invitation only. Space is limited and early registration is highly recommended.
Submission deadline: No later than WEDNESDAY 14 JULY
How to Submit Work
Artwork can be dropped off at Studio-X Beijing between 11am-7pm.
A103 No. 46 Fangjia Hutong
Andingmennei Dajie
Dongcheng District
Beijing
For directions to Studio-X Beijing, please visit this link.
Why Participate?
Raise awareness of the importance of preserving the remains of a culture with the richest history in the world
Strengthen ties between CHP and Beijing’s creative community
Expand in future years as an iconic and innovative fundraiser, and support the launch of CHP’s volunteer program, Cultural Action Network (CAN), which will have trained volunteers providing up-to-date reports on at risk sites of cultural and heritage significance in Beijing and across China.
Upon registration to participate, please submit a brief bio (English or Chinese) and a hi-res color photo of yourself
A Do You Hutong? microsite is launching very soon and CHP plans to promote participating artists and designers accordingly
Upon final submission, we encourage you to submit an artwork title, the medium and also how you would like for your name to be listed. Each final artwork piece will be displayed at the event and and for sale by silent auction. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork will support the work of CHP.
Each artist receives two complimentary tickets to the 17 July event
Terms & Conditions
All donated artwork is property of Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP). By submitting work, artists give CHP the sole right to use the donated artwork for its publicity, marketing and educational purposes. CHP is supplying the clay model at no cost to each invited artist. CHP is not responsible for costs associated with final design of the model, including materials, supplies, artist/designer fees, transportation, etc.
