Wukan: The Flame of Democracy

Wukan is a village in the Chinese province of Guangdong, and in 2012, its inhabitants experienced a phenomenon that was unique in this country: democratic elections. This event was so exceptional that it attracted the attention of the international press. The elections didn’t take place without a struggle, however, and there were weeks of protest and the death of an activist leader in the run-up to them. But ultimately the villagers were successful in ejecting the incumbent local Communist government, which had held power for decades and was accused of irresponsibly selling off Wukan land. The documentary begins when the dust has settled after the uprising, and the demands made in the heat of battle are being fulfilled. Although battle scars are still clearly visible, there is now some serious work to be done. Recovering the land is a slow process, and the villagers turn up the pressure on their newly elected committee. Democracy is no guarantee for social calm, and Wukan is a textbook example of the wave of new democracies sweeping across the globe. One villager, red with anger, yells at his new leader, “You are like Egypt’s President Morsi!”