Garden in Heaven

Streaming video - 2005

“Garden in Heaven” is the name of a memorial website for the date-rape and murder victim Huang Jing. When Huang was found dead, she was naked and had wounds on her body, but the coroner declared illness as the cause of her death. Huang’s mother had her body undergo five autopsies and six inquests. The results of each were different. This film documents a mother’s mourning as well as her anger toward––and resistance against––sexual violence in a society that denies legal recourse for such crimes. "*Ai Xiaoming is an intellectual with a keen focus on women’s rights who has long participated in and documented Chinese citizen actions and the awakening of China’s intellectuals. Garden in Heaven uses several legal cases t...o analyze the status and rights of women in Chinese society, culture, politics, and law. The film shows intellectuals and NGOs engaging in early civil rights actions. These actions, however, prove to be weak in the face of powerful cultural and political realities.*" – ***Ai Weiwei*** more