Ava Ginsberg

One Child Nation is a masterfully crafted documentary produced and directed by Nanfu Wang, released in 2019. The film tells the story of China's one-child policy, a reform in place from 1979-2015 dictating that each family may only have one child, to account for the overpopulation in China. Through interviews with midwives, leaders, activists, and others, the documentary shows how China used propaganda and force to brainwash its citizens. Nanfu Wang grew up in a rural town in China, during the time of the policy. We get to see how her perspective, that the policy was bad, compares to that of the people she loves. In watching the documentary One Child Nation, there is a lot to learn about the people who were affected by the policy over the decades. In totality, the documentary wonderfully displays the truth behind the policy, and the footage of various perspectives and ideas makes the documentary special. I strongly agree with the message that the film portrays in showing how China brainwashed and put atrocities on its people. The film focuses on the difference between regret, and defense of the policy. Hearing from Huaru Yuan, a midwife, was impactful in understanding these two perspectives. She performed abortions and sterilizations by the thousands, and lives to regret her work. She didn't feel like she had a choice, and now understands the gravity of her actions. She also discusses the struggle to accept and try to make up for what she has done. Going into the documentary, I expected most people to have hatred for the policy, so I was interested to hear from Shuqin Jiang. Shuqin was a family planning leader, and she was used for propaganda videos. She has the opposite idea of Huaru claiming “...the policy was correct. Our leaders were prophetic.” This was jarring for me, as I didn't understand the extent of the propaganda, and how many people still think like this. Another theme that stood out to me was sexism. The way that female children were valued was devastating. The documentary not only touches on how sexism played into the policy but also the lasting effects that has had on China’s society today. It explains how since families were only allowed to have one child if the child was not a boy, they were often abandoned to be trafficked or die. It also talks about how due to the higher rates of abandonment, the ratio of women to men is now significantly skewed in China. Nanfu also goes even further to talk to her relatives about how they value her in comparison to her brother. It is heart-wrenching to see her family members view her as less than for being female. It is also clear how the policy exacerbated the pre-existing issue of sexism in China as parents were forced to choose males over females in a much more severe way than before. One Child Nation is an entirely captivating display of the story behind the one-child policy, as well as the psyche and aftermath that comes with it. Through thoughtful interviews, and detailed research, the documentary does a fantastic job of displaying its morals; of how propaganda and other misconstrued forces led to the devastating effects of the one-child policy. I give the exemplary documentary 5/5 stars.