Film Review: Petition

In his independent film titled Petition, Zhao Liang captures the raw experiences of Beijing’s petitioning process. Through their countless appeals for change, petitioner’s voices are often ignored, and consequently, many issues are never resolved. Petition presents some petitioners’ commitment towards their cause, and brings to light the often life threatening measures that are taken to get their voices heard.

One of Petition’s distinguishing traits is the raw portion of unedited scenes that vividly illustrate the emotional aspect of petitioning. Many scenes are blurry, filled with too much white noise, or hard to see from the unstable grip on the camera. This is especially apparent when Zhao is following Qi to ask her about her daughter. Yet, these scenes, though not filmed with professional equipment, are skillfully captured to appeal to the viewer’s emotions. The entire film was cleverly put together, and Zhao’s decision to keep many scenes unedited leave a lasting impression on the viewer.

The best examples of this are Juan and Qi’s interactions on film. Qi, a mother of one, Juan, is one of many people who have tirelessly dedicated their entire lives to the petitioning cause — for justice. But, the film also shows how Qi’s endless devotion towards petitioning has affected her daughter, Juan, for her entire life. When Juan reveals her desire to study for all her life, and not being able to, it is especially heartbreaking. Her description of feeling dragged along her mother’s mission is vivid. When Juan tells Zhao how difficult it is to run away from her mother, who has been her sole companion for her entire life, the viewer is especially responsive.

Another scene reveals the dangers that petitioner’s face when confronted by authorities. In an attempt to run away from the police, one petitioner is struck by a moving train. Zhao’s choice to film other petitioner’s statements about the situation was definitely fitting. He also creates an added effect by filming the concrete sight of the accident. The viewer is especially uneasy when Zhao shows the hand that was left behind after the petitioner was struck. This scene, which was filmed for too long, would have benefitted from editing — particularly, removal of white noise.