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China, the Long March (1986)

Synopsis

China, the Long March follows stills photographer Leo Meier as he travels the route of the Long March for seven weeks to photograph the people and places of today’s China for a photographic exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Long March. The film tells the story of how, in 1934, the Communist Party undertook a massive military retreat circling to the north, eventually covering 8,000 km. It then regrouped, and The Red Army, under the command of Mao Zedong, finally defeated the Nationalist Party and took control of China.

Curator’s notes

The documentary uses extensive historical footage to retell the story of the Long March. This is interwoven with Meier’s journey, his stills, and vignettes of the lifestyles of local people he encountered along the way.