Documentary "Inside Mao's China"

A very interesting film by Martin Gronemeyer, telling a story about foreign expats in China during the cultural revolution.

The film tells a unique personal story combined with rare historical footage give a new perspective on Mao’s utopia. 

At the height of Maoism, China was as closed off as present-day North Korea. Then as China eased out of its age of isolation in the early 1970's, Westerners equipped with government regulated narratives began to romanticize the new government. Only a small group of Westerners who grew up and lived inside Mao’s China witnessed first-hand the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution. Until now they had preferred to remain silent but armed with a new outlook on life they are committed to sharing their experiences without fear.

When the Westerners were finally granted permission to leave, they were shocked to find their peers in Europe cheering for the very dictator they had just fled. In this time young leftist activists In Western Europe idolized Mao as a harbinger of a utopian society. However, many Western Maoists who journeyed to China to enjoy the revolutionary tours often returned disillusioned or confused. Why? “Inside Mao’s China” tells the truth about this period of recent Chinese history. These ventures between cultures and political systems underscored by this film are among the few materials that can paint a true picture of life inside Mao’s China. 

Learn more: Inside Mao's China