Documentary film screening: Autumn Gem

Meet the filmmaker and watch the documentary produced by Cal Alum Rae Chang ('94), producer of "Autumn Gem."

About the Film:
A Documentary on Modern China's First Feminist

Meet the "Chinese Joan of Arc" Qiu Jin (1875 - 1907), a radical women's rights activist who defied tradition to become the leader of a revolutionary army. She attempted an armed uprising against the corrupt Qing Dynasty and became the first female martyr for China's 1911 Revolution. Qiu Jin is celebrated as a national heroine today.

The hour-long film contains interviews with scholars, archival materials, and dramatic reenactments based on Qiu Jin's original writings. It was produced and directed by two San Francisco Bay Area Chinese American filmmakers, Rae Chang and Adam Tow.

Autumn Gem has screened at over 100 schools and educational venues, including UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Princeton, Brown, Connecticut College, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of British Columbia, and Australian National University.

2011 marked the centenary of the 1911 Revolution that ended imperial rule in China. It is especially important to acknowledge the immense impact of Qiu Jin, the first female martyr in the country's transition to a modern nation. AUTUMN GEM sheds light on a seminal figure who continues to serve as an inspiration to Chinese women today.