Falun Gong practitioners stage a reenactment of organ harvesting from imprisoned practitioners in China, during a protest in Vienna on Oct. 1, 2018. (Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images)
A documentary exposing the organ pillage industry sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be shown in California theatres in January.
“State Organs,” a documentary directed by Peabody Award winner Raymond Zhang, will have its theatrical release in the United States with 28 showings during its first week in Los Angeles.
The documentary, produced by Rooyee Films, traces the heart-wrenching journey of two families searching for their loved ones who mysteriously disappeared 20 years ago. Featuring first-hand testimonies, including exclusive interviews with surgeons involved in the gruesome practice of live organ harvesting and pre-disappearance recordings of victims, the film sheds light on the secretive state-sanctioned organ pillage industry that has persisted for over two decades in China and continues to this day. A U.K.-based independent tribunal has substantiated the atrocities depicted in the film in a final judgment in 2019.
The film’s premiere will be on Friday, Jan. 26, at 7:20 p.m. at Laemmle Glendale Theatre in Los Angeles (207 N Maryland Ave, Glendale, California). Starting Feb. 2, the film will be available on the social media platform Gan Jing World.
Advertising poster for "State Organs," a documentary exposing the organ pillage industry sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The film’s premiere is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 26, at 7:20 p.m. at Laemmle Glendale Theatre in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Rooyee Films)
According to Mr. Zhang, the film is the first of its kind to center on the perspective of families of those who fell victim to the state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting industry.
“Many Chinese families lost their young and healthy children to the state crime, and their voice must be heard,” the director said in a press release.
The film also tells the story of a grassroots movement in China that employs an innovative approach to challenging the ruling authoritarian regime, a seemingly invincible superpower.
Mr. Zhang collaborated with composer Daryl Bennett, who has received both Emmy and Grammy Awards for his work.
“State Organs” has already received several accolades, including the 2023 Leo Awards for Best Direction and Best Music, along with nominations for Best Feature-Length Documentary, Best Screenwriting, Best Picture Editing, and Best Sound.
