Uncovering China's Forbidden Films: The Truth Emerges Through Archival Rescue

Newcastle University's Chinese Independent Film Archive (Cifa) houses nearly 800 indie films and oral interviews with over 100 filmmakers, making it the world's largest publicly accessible archive of independent Chinese films. The archive, located in the UK, was created by Sabrina Qiong Yu and funded by a £1m grant, preserving films that have been censored or banned in China. The films cover a wide range of topics, including historical events and personal stories, shedding light on aspects of Chinese society that are often silenced. The archive provides a platform for filmmakers to share their work and engage in conversations that are otherwise restricted in China.