"China: The Influencers of Colonization" and "What China Doesn’t Show the World – Total Trust"

China: The Influencers of Colonization

Xinjiang, in western China, is the historic homeland of the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority persecuted by the central government. Using open-source data, this documentary reveals how Chinese influencers are persuading people from across the country to “colonize” the province. Hundreds of social media clips promote Xinjiang, highlighting the financial benefits of settling there. Investigations by MIT OFFENEN DATEN show that these influencers, who appear to promote Xinjiang as a place of opportunity, are in fact multipliers of Chinese state propaganda and of President Xi Jinping’s vision. While Uyghurs are sent to “re-education” camps or relocated to eastern China, the government actively encourages Han Chinese to move to Xinjiang — officially to fight separatism and religious extremism. In reality, this resettlement policy contributes to the erasure of Uyghur identity.

Directed by Manon Bachelot & Poline Tchoubar
Produced by CAPA PRESSE

What China Doesn’t Show the World – Total Trust

Film Screening in German

Total Trust is a deeply unsettling and moving film about the uncanny power of Big Data and AI — about their use and misuse in both public and private life, as well as about censorship and self-censorship. Through the stories of people in China who have been monitored, intimidated, and even tortured, Total Trust vividly reveals the dangers posed by current technologies when wielded by a power that turns them against its own citizens. The film tells the stories of courageous women and men who passionately fight for human rights and justice — whether for themselves or for their loved ones. Shot with unique, covertly recorded footage, Total Trust sparks a global debate about the existential challenges that surveillance technologies based on Big Data and AI pose for democracy and justice. 

Documentary of Jialing Zhang, 2023