[9/20/2025] Screening of Sinophone Independent Films: “In the Same Breath”

China’s independent film scene, once vibrant, now lies in ruins—shattered bricks and scattered debris. Yet survivors and newcomers continue to gather these fragments, seeking to rebuild hope through the power of cinema. Co-hosted by Non-profit JF Books and the Sinovisual Culture and Art Institute and CIFA, in collaboration with George Washington University, Georgetown University, USCET, and CAF, the inaugural 2025 Screening of Sinophone Independent Films opens a raw and authentic window onto China’s grassroots realities. At the same time, it interlaces Taiwanese documentaries with voices from Hong Kong, Uyghurs, the Philippines, and Africa—together sketching the silhouette of independent cinema’s resilient soul amid the ruins.

Theme of the festival: “Real Edges: Identity, Struggle, and Memory in a Shifting World”

In the Same Breath unveils the chaotic dawn of COVID-19 in Wuhan. With raw footage and fearless inquiry, it exposes propaganda and human costs across China and the US. A shattering, must-see journey into the truth. This film screening also serves as the opening ceremony for the film festival.

About the Director

Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker creating intimate character studies that examine the impact of authoritarian governance, corruption, and lack of accountability on the lives of individuals and the well-being of communities. With the rigor of an investigative journalist and immersive, emotionally powerful storytelling, Wang interrogates notions of responsibility and freedom, particularly amid the repressive state mandates in her native China.

Nanfu Wang completed a continuing education program in China before going on to earn an MA (2010) from Shanghai University. Wang also holds an MA (2012) from Ohio University and an MA (2014) from New York University. Prior to being admitted to the continuing education program, Wang worked as a primary school teacher.