Film Review: ‘Singing in the Wilderness”: Documentary of an Exploited People

Updated:

According to legend, the Miao people’s mythical King Chiyou was defeated by the Yellow Emperor, who as the crypto-historical Huangdi, supposedly established Han supremacy throughout China.

Even if you had not heard it before, you will hear it many times throughout this documentary. The unspoken message to the Miao is clear: They are a conquered people. They will also be an exploited people when a local Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official turns a 100-year-old local A-Hmao-speaking Christian choir into a novelty act in New York-based Chinese filmmaker Chen Dongnan’s documentary “Singing in the Wilderness.”

Joe Bendel
Joe Bendel
Author
Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York City. To read his most recent articles, visit JBSpins.blogspot.com
Related Topics