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One Child Nation

After becoming a mother, a filmmaker uncovers the untold history of China's one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment.

Director

Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang

Year

Genre

documentary, history

Box Office

$270,128

Production

Next Generation,ITVS,WDR/Arte,Motto Pictures,Pumpernickel Films,Diamond Docs

Awards

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. 10 wins & 49 nominations total

Homepage

https://www.onechildnation.com

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Explore 210 Clips

[CROWD CHEERING, APPLAUDING] - One Child Nation

[CROWD CHEERING, APPLAUDING]

That one big statistic,
more than anything else, - One Child Nation

That one big statistic, more than anything else,

MAN:
By the middle
of the next century, - One Child Nation

MAN: By the middle of the next century,

However,
with one child per family, - One Child Nation

However, with one child per family,

So now there's
a desperate effort underway - One Child Nation

So now there's a desperate effort underway

Chinese officials are using
fines, - One Child Nation

Chinese officials are using fines,

Billboards like this one
are up all over the country. - One Child Nation

Billboards like this one are up all over the country.

NANFU:
Six years before I was born, - One Child Nation

NANFU: Six years before I was born,

They were painted on the walls, printed on playing cards... - One Child Nation

They were painted on the walls, printed on playing cards...

Calendars, - One Child Nation

All of them blended - One Child Nation

All of them blended

I never thought much - One Child Nation

I never thought much

[HEARTBEAT] - One Child Nation

Our baby was born
seven weeks early. - One Child Nation

Our baby was born seven weeks early.

Right after he was born, - One Child Nation

Right after he was born,

The separation - One Child Nation

Twelve days later, - One Child Nation

Twelve days later,

[IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

A rush of images
from my early life - One Child Nation

A rush of images from my early life

I thought of my own parents - One Child Nation

I thought of my own parents

They chose the name Nanfu
before I was born. - One Child Nation

They chose the name Nanfu before I was born.

Nan means "man,"
andfu means "pillar." - One Child Nation

Nan means "man," andfu means "pillar."

When I was born a girl, - One Child Nation

When I was born a girl,

I remembered the plaques
the government hung - One Child Nation

I remembered the plaques the government hung

Each plaque was decorated
with stars - One Child Nation

Each plaque was decorated with stars

Our family always missed
that star. - One Child Nation

Our family always missed that star.

I remembered being sent
to middle school in the city - One Child Nation

I remembered being sent to middle school in the city

Most of the city kids
came from one-child families. - One Child Nation

Most of the city kids came from one-child families.

Whenever someone found out
that I had a brother, - One Child Nation

Whenever someone found out that I had a brother,

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]:

ZHIMEI [IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

ZHIMEI [IN MANDARIN]:

NANFU:
I moved to the U.S. six years
before my son was born. - One Child Nation

NANFU: I moved to the U.S. six years before my son was born.

Bringing him back to my village for the first time - One Child Nation

Bringing him back to my village for the first time

Visiting the village
kindergarten - One Child Nation

Visiting the village kindergarten

I used to think
that I knew everything - One Child Nation

I used to think that I knew everything

But now I wondered
if the thoughts I had - One Child Nation

But now I wondered if the thoughts I had

I asked my neighbor
to take me - One Child Nation

I asked my neighbor to take me

He was one of the people
my grandpa argued with - One Child Nation

He was one of the people my grandpa argued with

[IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

[IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

NANFU: - One Child Nation

WOMAN [IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

WOMAN [IN MANDARIN]:

[SPEAKING IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

[SPEAKING IN MANDARIN]

NANFU:
Men like Liu Xianwen
worked all over China - One Child Nation

NANFU: Men like Liu Xianwen worked all over China

[CYMBALS CLANKING OVER TV] - One Child Nation

[CYMBALS CLANKING OVER TV]

ALL [CHANTING IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

ALL [CHANTING IN MANDARIN]:

[IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

[SINGING IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

[SINGING IN MANDARIN]:

And just like everyone else,
I joined in the choir. - One Child Nation

And just like everyone else, I joined in the choir.

This was me performing
propaganda songs. - One Child Nation

This was me performing propaganda songs.

We all had the same makeup,
the same dresses - One Child Nation

We all had the same makeup, the same dresses

[CHATTERING IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

[CHATTERING IN MANDARIN]

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]:

NANFU: - One Child Nation

[NANFU SPEAKS IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

[NANFU SPEAKS IN MANDARIN]

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]:
That night, I decided - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]: That night, I decided

So I went to see
the local midwife - One Child Nation

So I went to see the local midwife

She showed me photos
of my grandma, - One Child Nation

She showed me photos of my grandma,

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]:

NANFU: - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]:
On the wall, - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]: On the wall,

Next to it were flags
people sent to thank her - One Child Nation

Next to it were flags people sent to thank her

[NANFU GASPS] - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]:
My village is one of many
thousands across the country, - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]: My village is one of many thousands acro...

Each year, the government
would punish or reward them - One Child Nation

Each year, the government would punish or reward them

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]:
She was standing
right behind Wen Jiabao, - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]: She was standing right behind Wen Jiabao...

Received
like a national hero, - One Child Nation

Received like a national hero,

China started a war
against population growth, - One Child Nation

China started a war against population growth,

[IN MANDARIN] - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]: - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN MANDARIN]:

He lived through wars,
famines and revolutions. - One Child Nation

He lived through wars, famines and revolutions.

My father died
of a brain hemorrhage - One Child Nation

My father died of a brain hemorrhage

And his short life
was more about survival - One Child Nation

And his short life was more about survival

None of my family
questioned the policy - One Child Nation

None of my family questioned the policy

The government used
music and TV - One Child Nation

The government used music and TV

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]:
I wish I could say something
to my mom. - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]: I wish I could say something to my mom.

Like most people in China,
she believes the policy - One Child Nation

Like most people in China, she believes the policy

But I wondered
if people like her - One Child Nation

But I wondered if people like her

NANFU: - One Child Nation

NANFU:
Coming back here, - One Child Nation

NANFU: Coming back here,

NANFU:
When my mom was born,
her parents named her Zaodi, - One Child Nation

NANFU: When my mom was born, her parents named her Zaodi,

She later helped
her younger brother - One Child Nation

She later helped her younger brother

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]:
I wish I could say
that my uncle - One Child Nation

NANFU [IN ENGLISH]: I wish I could say that my uncle

In my village,
we called them matchmakers, - One Child Nation

In my village, we called them matchmakers,

Talking with my aunt
about matchmakers - One Child Nation

Talking with my aunt about matchmakers

At the time,
it seemed cruel and evil - One Child Nation

At the time, it seemed cruel and evil

But now I wondered
if the government's version - One Child Nation

But now I wondered if the government's version

I tracked down
the ex-trafficker Yueneng Duan - One Child Nation

I tracked down the ex-trafficker Yueneng Duan

Duan spent four years
in prison, - One Child Nation

Duan spent four years in prison,

The day I was there,
he was on his break, - One Child Nation

The day I was there, he was on his break,

One Child Nation poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

After becoming a mother, a filmmaker uncovers the untold history of China's one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang

Writer: N/A

Production: Next Generation,ITVS,WDR/Arte,Motto Pictures,Pumpernickel Films,Diamond Docs

Genre: documentary, history

Year: 2019

MetaScore: 85/100

ImdbRating: 7.5

BoxOffice: $270,128

Released: 09 Aug 2019

Awards: Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. 10 wins & 49 nominations total

Homepage: https://www.onechildnation.com

Also watch: Ivory Tower, Fire in Paradise, Mathu Vadalara, Hala, The Edge of Democracy, An Honest Liar, Fast Food Nation, Wilde, The Rider, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Coffee and Cigarettes