China Cry

Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
THIS DVD can be played in ALL regions. Includes English, Spanish and Portuguese tracks with or without English subtitles.

Description

Ten years in the making, this award-winning documentary was filmed during a remarkable nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal. CRY OF THE SNOW LION brings audiences to the long-forbidden "rooftop of the world" with an unprecedented richness of imagery… from rarely-seen rituals in remote monasteries, to horse races with Khamba warriors; from brothels and slums in the holy city of Lhasa, to the magnificent Himalayan peaks still traveled by nomadic yak caravans. The dark secrets of Tibet's recent past are powerfully chronicled through riveting personal stories and interviews, and a collection of undercover and archival images never before assembled in one film. A definitive exploration of a legendary subject, TIBET: CRY OF THE SNOW LION is an epic story of courage and compassion.

Customer Reviews:

Let His Holiness go home!!!.......2007-06-18

10 years in the making and worth it. Peace loving Tibetans brutally beat, tortured and now made to live as second-class citizens. Visually stunning, informative and gut wrenching. A MUST see...FREE TIBET!!

Free Tibet.......2007-05-22

This beautiful collection of films about Tibet shows how spiritual the Tibetans are. It shows how the Chinese have stolen the Tibetans' culture and language and resourses. It is a crime that the leader of this peaceful country should have to escape over the border to India and not be able to go home again. What right do the Chinese have to invade Tibet and turn it into a part of China? Caroline Hutchinson, Phippsburg, Maine.

A stunning indictment.......2007-05-22

This beautiful film captures the mystery of Tibetan Buddhism in a way that we of the West can begin to understand. I brought a lot of background knowledge to the subject, but through this film came to understand the place of the monasteries in Tibetan life in a new way. Tibet has no educational system apart from the monasteries; when one reads that 10% of the population consisted of monks and nuns, it's easier to understand if you think of these individuals as involved in cultural and scholarly as well as religious pursuits. In the west these are sharply divided spheres; not so in the east.

The film is astounding in its breadth of material, from what must have been clandestine films of riots and beatings to Chinese military training films. There are numerous interviews of monks and nuns who must no longer be in Tibet. And the pictures of modern Tibet are heartbreaking, especially of the mighty Potala Palace with Chinese kids' rides and fast food vendors cluttering the plaza below. This is how the Chinese have really destroyed the culture; a new rail line to Tibet is imminent, and masses of Chinese are flooding the country, marginalizing the Tibetans and bringing with them the most tawdry aspects of what was once a proud and ancient culture in its own right.

The film makes the point that the Chinese have suffered too. One would think that Tibet could have been left as a peaceful buffer for China from India but that's not the Chinese Communist way. Of course the film is pro-Tibetan, but as usual the history is a bit more complicated. In fact Tibet has always had very close cultural ties with China, and there were Tibetans who encouraged the Chinese. Indeed, the Dalai Lama's predecessor for many years was a stooge of the Chinese. Tibet could not exist in a world of superpowers, but that inescapable fact doesn't lessen the tragedy this film portrays.

Beautiful and wrenching.......2007-05-14

Beautiful and wrenching. I could see it again and again. Some documentaries on Tibet are too dry, some too romanticized. This one is lyrical in it's combination of information, history, and images.

A Tale of Tears.......2007-05-03

Ten years in the making, this documentary will break your heart, but it also contains some very important stories. I felt very ignorant of world affairs as I watched, but was happy to be enlightened by the film. Tibet is so beautiful, yet holds a very dark history as people unfold the truth about the suffering and religious persecution. It is unbelievable that many are not bitter or angry toward the ones who tortured them or killed their friends and family, and they still hold hope that one day Tibet will be free. One can't help but tangle with a mix of emotions after watching the chronicle of events surrounding the 'rooftop of the world'. It is my personal hope that the native people of Tibet regain their freedom.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

Average customer rating:

Very Awkward and Unrealistic Portrayal
Interesting Cultural, Love Story, Drama that is also Exotic, Educational, Historical, and Inspirational!
WITH GOD AS MY WITNESS...
Based on a true story
China Cry

China Cry
Starring: James Shigeta
Manufacturer: Candlelight Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Cross and the Switchblade-DVD
Run Baby Run
Billy Graham Presents: The Hiding Place
China Cry: The Nora Lam Story
National Geographic - China's Lost Girls

ASIN: B00006K02D
Release Date: 2002-07-01

Description

THIS DVD can be played in ALL regions. Includes English, Spanish and Portuguese tracks with or without English subtitles.

Customer Reviews:

Very Awkward and Unrealistic Portrayal.......2006-09-04

Sadly; this is not a movie about Christianity in China. It is not a movie about the persecution of Christians; nor about the growth and spread of Christianity in China. I only watched it because I was told that the movie addressed these issues that I have a powerful connection to and experience with. Parts of the movie may appeal to the fundamentalist, bolt of lightening miracle seeking fringe of American Christianity; but that's about it. There are approximately three scenes in the movie where religious belief or practice is a theme and is presented in what felt like a provocative, opportunistic manner to enflame viewers' religious loyalties in a politically manipulative ploy.

Although the serious, traumatic, and unfortunate events and issues presented in this clunky and disjointed movie really did happen to China and to all of the Chinese people who were alive during those time periods, they are portrayed throughout this movie from a non-Chinese viewpoint and without sensitivity to Chinese culture. Character development is minimal, adolescent, and the main characters are portrayed too much as "special victims". Western ideas, behaviors, and attitudes are injected into scenes of Chinese family or romantic life where they still do not exist today, let alone in the mid-20th century. It seems as though most of the actors are foreign-born (away from China) Chinese and their body language, facial expressions, culture, and style of expressing ideas through dialogue is so non-Chinese that it makes for an absolutely bizarre viewing experience. The storyline, which with a slightly less myopic focus could have expressed the injustice and suffering experienced so universally in China during the periods depicted, might have been admirable to share; but the motive behind making the movie is so obviously questionable as to give the feel of a thinly veiled political propaganda flick. By remembering what this movie is not it reveals what it really is. This really just seems to be a dissident "anti-Chinese communism" movie. Since it claims to represent someone's true-life story there may also have been the goal of making a large sum of money through exploiting the strong political feelings held by some Hong Kongese and Taiwanese people. The ongoing themes are "how can we get out of here", "how can this be happening to me and my family", "we were once wealthy and affluent; so this is worse for us", "how can we get away from them", and the movie portrays complex political themes in a very black and white manner. Maybe this movie was seen as "a story worth a million dollars" by someone; but I wish that I had not wasted my money and a part of my evening watching it. What happened to the family portrayed in this movie was wrong; but so was the making of this artless production! The movie has a story to tell; but is equally without heart, soul, or culture as the invading Japanese army portrayed in the opening scenes and the oppressive Red Guard shown in the closing scenes; just prior to the depiction of the leading lady crawling through a non-existent desert no-man's-land between China and "freedom" in Hong Kong. At a time when we need to develop a greater cultural sensitivity to our brothers and sisters in China this movie serves to confuse and confound our ability to develop the empathy and understanding that will lead us toward a more peaceful and cooperative relationship.

Interesting Cultural, Love Story, Drama that is also Exotic, Educational, Historical, and Inspirational!.......2006-01-04

This is the true story of a "modern" girl in China, growing up and falling in love during the Japanese occupation of WWII, and then things get even worse when the Mao Communists take over!

I first heard of this movie through Christian channels, because the film also shows how the heroine becomes a Christian, sort of "accidentally," when the Communists persecute her as an adult because she is a suspected traitor to the Communist Party, simply because she once attended a Christian grade school, when she was a child--and religion is the enemy of Communism (from the point of view of Chairman Mao's Communist Party)!

I didn't know what to expect from this DVD, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how powerful the film is, and how well the actors perform their roles. Some of the scenes are very gripping, tense, and even scary! It is made on location in Hong Kong and Macau, but for an English-speaking audience. All of the lead actors speak English fluently.

This film could easily appeal to a large variety of viewers. Hipsters that like all things Asian will appreciate the history and culture shown. It is also a love story. Christians will find it interesting to see the persecuted church being accurately portrayed. But this film is equally all these things at the same time! It is not primarily a Christian film, or a romance film, etc. It just has all those aspects to it.

Both of my own parents were of this era, growing up in Asia (in the Dutch East Indies, a.k.a. Indonesia), when WWII brought the Japanese occupiers to their homes! I am not sure if my folks would get upset by this film or not, but I know I was freaked out by some scenes, just knowing what my folks told me about what went on during WWII.

I found it most interesting to see how the paranoid Communists feared Christianity, and religion, as an enemy of communism, so much so that any religious people, even if only vaguely linked to religion, were harshly persecuted, beaten, ran out of their homes, and put into forced labor camps. My maternal grandfather worked forced labor for the Japanese, building railroad tracks for years, separated from the family. This occupation and persecution still affects my family relations, especially the way my parents view life--harsh brutality hiding behind a civilized facade that could break at any moment!

This film moves along at a good pace, in its 90 minutes. They cover a lot of ground, and you will be grimacing and upset at some of the scenes, though none are too graphic for children, the situations are too intense of younger kids.

My biggest inspiration from watching this movie is feeling guilty about how cushy and easy my life is in the USA, while these Christian persecutions continue around the world! It makes me motivated to do more for the work of Christ!

There is a 20 minute "Making Of..." bonus feature which is not mentioned, but is on the Special Features page. There you will see the director and actors talking about making the film, and at the movie premiere. You can even see the actual Nora Lam, the main character in real life, attending the movie premiere, but she says little or nothing. I suppose she doesn't speak english, perhaps, but she does have a Christian charity organization based around her, and they do missionary work in China.

WITH GOD AS MY WITNESS..........2005-10-09

This is the incredible story of Nora Lam, a woman whose unwavering faith in God has seen her through more upheavals in her life than most people ever experience. This film is an adaptation of her book and is a condensation of Ms. Lam's extraordinary life. James F. Collier, who wrote the film adaptation, also directed the film.

In the film, her story begins in 1941, when she was a young child named Sung Neng Yee and lived in Shanghai with her wealthy parents, Dr. and Mrs. Sung (James Shigeta and Frances Nuyen), amidst unparalleled luxury and privilege. She was a spoiled and pampered child, a veritable princess. In December of 1941, Neng Yee's life would forever change, as her family was forced to flee their home, when the Japanese invaders overran all of Shanghai. For the Sung family, a life of privilege would forever be a thing of the past.

Nine years later, in 1950, Neng Yee (Julia Nickson-Soul), a beautiful young woman living in reduced circumstances with her family, was a student at Soochow University. She was living on the cusp of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution and was now pro-communist in her beliefs. Neng Yee studied hard at the university, and there she met and fell in love with Lam Cheng Shen (Russell Wong), a handsome young scholar with a proclivity for dressing in western clothing. Some time after graduation, Neng Yee and Cheng Shen married.

Then, everyone's re-education began. Under the auspices of the Cultural Revolution, her father, a well respected medical doctor, was forced to scrub floors in the same hospital in which he had been a prominent physician. Thus, was to begin the road of disillusionment for Neng Yee. Once persecuted by the Japanese, the Sungs now found themselves to be part of the collateral damage of the Cultural Revolution.

Shortly after, a pregnant Neng Yee and her husband found themselves subjected to interrogations by Communist officials, as they were deemed to be suspicious because of their family connections and because of that fact that Neng Yee had, at one time, held Christian beliefs. So, her nightmare began. Under interrogation, as part of her of her re-education, she re-counted to her interrogators her life at a Christian boarding school years ago. During the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, it was thought that confession and criticism were the first steps to social reform in China.

Neng Yee acknowledged that for a time she had turned to Christianity, only to have forgotten about it by the time she was sixteen, when she, instead, had turned to Chairman Mao for guidance. As Neng Yee's independent spirit began to chafe under the repressive and oppressive party line, under interrogation, Neng Yee found God again. She eventually found herself in conflict with the state and sentenced to death. Her moment of truth arrived when the pregnant Neng Yee was brought before the firing squad. What happened next is sure to make one believe in miracles. It is at that miraculous moment that life really began for Neng Yee. God promised Neng Yee that she and her family would be free and leave China. The film ends with that promise being fulfilled.

In actuality, it is not the end of her story but only the beginning. Neng Yee and her family emigrated to the United States, and Neng Yee became Nora Lam. She went on to live a life that is nearly incredible in terms of its experiential breadth. It was to be a secular life ultimately lived in the service of God in all parts of the world. It is amazing what this young woman would go on to achieve and accomplish in her life. Hers is, indeed, an inspirational story that will make one believe in a higher power, if one does not already do so. It is surely a story worth telling. Nora Lam has gone on to establish the Nora Lam Ministries, which is based in California, and she has led evangelical crusades in China and the United States. One should read the book upon which the film is based before viewing the film. As is so often the case, the book is better.

The problem with the film is that it has to cram too much into too short a time period. Consequently, it leaves parts out that would make the story a little more comprehensible. Moreover, while the venerable James Shigeta and Frances Nuyen give excellent performances, as does Russell Wong, Julia Nickson-Soul, as pretty as she is, has too contemporary an edge and lacks the acting chops to be truly effective or convincing in the role. Consequently, this film pales when compared to James F. Collier's other inspirational film, "The Hiding Place".

Based on a true story.......2003-09-03

The acting is great. And Julia Nickson-Sole is convincing as Sung.

As a result of the Japanese invasion of China a wealthy family is displaced from their home and divested of their servants. The Commie replacement government was not very sympathetic toward this type of family either.

Now we see what is happening in degrees as she phased out of her cushy surroundings. She actually tries to comply with the new environment and approves of it.

Then the government helps her to learn about the Christianity by accusing her of going to a Christian school as a child. She tries to explain that she only went to the school and that did not make her Christian. The unbending government makes her suffer until in her confusion she turns to Christianity in hopes of a cure for the situation.

China Cry.......2002-10-23

Great movie. Gives a new perspective on life as a Christian outside of the US. Very inspiring, I'd have to say it's somewhat life changing. Highly recommend for every Christian

Average customer rating:

GOD IS MY WITNESS...
GREATEST TRUE STORY
Based on a true story

China Cry

Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
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China Cry
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ASIN: B0007NC43G

Product Description

The true story of survivor Nora Lam's early life, prior to her escape to freedom. Born in Peking, China, Nora's wealthy family was persecuted by the Japanese during WWII. After the war she married a former classmate and soon after, as she looked forward to the birth of her first child as well as a prestigious teaching post, she was suddenly forced to submit to relentless ideological interrogation, forced labor, and firing squads, at the hands of the oppressive Red Chinese regime. Bent on making her suffer for her privileged past, her Christian schooling, and for questioning the tactics of the new government, the authorities proceeded to put husband and wife against one another in an effort to break their love and spirit.

Customer Reviews:

GOD IS MY WITNESS..........2005-10-01

This is the incredible story of Nora Lam, a woman whose unwavering faith in God has seen her through more upheavals in her life than most people ever experience. This film is an adaptation of her book and is a condensation of Ms. Lam's extraordinary life. James F. Collier, who wrote the film adaptation, also directed the film.

In the film, her story begins in 1941, when she was a young child named Sung Neng Yee and lived in Shanghai with her wealthy parents, Dr. and Mrs. Sung (James Shigeta and Frances Nuyen), amidst unparalleled luxury and privilege. She was a spoiled and pampered child, a veritable princess. In December of 1941, Neng Yee's life would forever change, as her family was forced to flee their home, when the Japanese invaders overran all of Shanghai. For the Sung family, a life of privilege would forever be a thing of the past.

Nine years later, in 1950, Neng Yee (Julia Nickson-Soul), a beautiful young woman living in reduced circumstances with her family, was a student at Soochow University. She was living on the cusp of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution and was now pro-communist in her beliefs. Neng Yee studied hard at the university, and there she met and fell in love with Lam Cheng Shen (Russell Wong), a handsome young scholar with a proclivity for dressing in western clothing. Some time after graduation, Neng Yee and Cheng Shen married.

Then, everyone's re-education began. Under the auspices of the Cultural Revolution, her father, a well respected medical doctor, was forced to scrub floors in the same hospital in which he had been a prominent physician. Thus, was to begin the road of disillusionment for Neng Yee. Once persecuted by the Japanese, the Sungs now found themselves to be part of the collateral damage of the Cultural Revolution.

Shortly after, a pregnant Neng Yee and her husband found themselves subjected to interrogations by Communist officials, as they were deemed to be suspicious because of their family connections and because of that fact that Neng Yee had, at one time, held Christian beliefs. So, her nightmare began. Under interrogation, as part of her of her re-education, she re-counted to her interrogators her life at a Christian boarding school years ago. During the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, it was thought that confession and criticism were the first steps to social reform in China.

Neng Yee acknowledged that for a time she had turned to Christianity, only to have forgotten about it by the time she was sixteen, when she, instead, had turned to Chairman Mao for guidance. As Neng Yee's independent spirit began to chafe under the repressive and oppressive party line, under interrogation, Neng Yee found God again. She eventually found herself in conflict with the state and sentenced to death. Her moment of truth arrived when the pregnant Neng Yee was brought before the firing squad. What happened next is sure to make one believe in miracles. It is at that miraculous moment that life really began for Neng Yee. God promised Neng Yee that she and her family would be free and leave China. The film ends with that promise being fulfilled.

In actuality, it is not the end of her story but only the beginning. Neng Yee and her family emigrated to the United States, and Neng Yee became Nora Lam. She went on to live a life that is nearly incredible in terms of its experiential breadth. It was to be a secular life ultimately lived in the service of God in all parts of the world. It is amazing what this young woman would go on to achieve and accomplish in her life. Hers is, indeed, an inspirational story that will make one believe in a higher power, if one does not already do so. It is surely a story worth telling. Nora Lam has gone on to establish the Nora Lam Ministries, which is based in California, and she has led evangelical crusades in China and the United States. One should read the book upon which the film is based before viewing the film. As is so often the case, the book is better.

The problem with the film is that it has to cram too much into too short a time period. Consequently, it leaves parts out that would make the story a little more comprehensible. Moreover, while the venerable James Shigeta and Frances Nuyen give excellent performances, as does Russell Wong,
Julia Nickson-Soul, as pretty as she is, has too contemporary an edge and lacks the acting chops to be truly effective or convincing in the role. Consequently, this film pales when compared to James F. Collier's other inspirational film, "The Hiding Place".

GREATEST TRUE STORY.......2005-09-20

HAVE MOVIE ON VHS. WONDERFUL. HAD THE HONOR OF MEETING NORA LAM IN PERSON AS AN ADULT. WONDERFUL PERSON.

Based on a true story.......2005-01-31

The Great Apostasy The Lost Sign in Christianity Today DVD

Average customer rating:

The Great Apostasy The Lost Sign in Christianity Today DVD
Starring: Paul Crouch TBN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Watch the unfolding of last days one-world religion
See how todays "Christian" television teachers fulfill the Bibles description of the false brethren leading Christians astray.
Witness the seeds of apostasy sprouting in our mainline churches
See over one hundred film clips from years of the Christian Sentinels research
Behold the great deception as prophesized by Jesus Christ.

ASIN: B000IR1S10

Product Description

"The Great Apostasy: The Lost Sign" is a video that sounds the alarm against the lying signs and wonders in the church that are preparing people to receive the antichrist "The Great Apostasy: The Lost Sign" documents the rise of religious deception within the churches from the beginning of the 1900's to the present day. This 90-minute video is filled with actual film footage of preachers in the very act of deception. WHAT VIEWERS ARE SAYING: I just finished watching "The Great Apostasy" video. I'm praying for these people and the people being fooled by them. Thank you for putting this video out. I didn't know it was this bad. . . God bless you!! I'm praying for your ministry. J. W. Brigham City, Utah Thanks so much for making this video about the apostasy available to the Body of Christ. It is very informative. The Lord used it to bring me out of the "faith/prosperity/signs & wonders" movement and into my right mind! Mrs. R. O. Dunkirk, MD I just viewed "The Great Apostasy: The Lost Sign." It was exactly the way I've seen the signs and wonders movement. Praise Jesus Christ for your boldness to produce such a Revealing Video. Your brother in Christ Jesus. R. B. Warrenton, OR

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