All Static & Noise | Hemgården, Lund
Survivors and their families risk everything to expose the truth of China’s Uyghur detention and ‘re-education’ camps
This documentary centers on Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uyghur economist from Xinjiang who was arrested by the Chinese government on charges of “separatism” and sentenced to life imprisonment. He has now been incarcerated for twelve years for advocating dialogue, equality, and peaceful coexistence between ethnic groups in China.
Produced over five years and filmed across seven countries, the documentary draws primarily on oral testimonies from Uyghur and Kazakh individuals to reveal the ongoing human rights abuses faced by ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. At its heart is the story of Jewher Ilham, Ilham Tohti’s daughter, who has dedicated herself to campaigning internationally for her father’s release. Through her journey, the film documents the experiences of Uyghurs fleeing China and recounts her own family’s ordeal inside detention camps.
Directed by Jewish American filmmaker David Novak, the film is inspired by the striking parallels between the current persecution of Uyghurs and the historical experiences of the Jewish people. Through this deeply personal and political narrative, the documentary seeks to raise global awareness and serve as a powerful reminder that human rights atrocities must never be allowed to happen again.
Post-screening discussion speaker: Abduweli Ayup
Abduweli Ayup is a Uyghur activist born in Kashgar, China, in 1973. He was detained by Chinese authorities from 2013 to 2014 for promoting Uyghur language education and endured severe interrogation and abuse while refusing false accusations. After his release, he fled to Turkey with his family. In 2016, Ayup founded the non-profit Uyghur Hjelp, continuing to document human rights abuses and promote Uyghur language education in the diaspora.
This screening is by reservation only. If you would like to attend, please email: minnielee0511@gmail.com
Organizer: Öbroar, New School for Democracy, Taiwan Association in Sweden
Films screened
All Static & Noise
The title comes from a line in a 2017 speech by Chinese Communist Party officials at Xinjiang University: all "static and noise" must be eliminated.
Built on three hundred hours of interviews, the film follows Jewher, a young Uyghur woman separated from her father at Beijing airport when he was detained, and Abduweli, a linguist and poet imprisoned and tortured for teaching Uyghur to six-year-olds, who makes his way to Istanbul after his release. Survivors and families in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Europe and the United States give testimony that assembles the scale of the "re-education camps".