84 min.
This documentary profiles Ye Haiyan, also known as "Hooligan Sparrow," a prominent women's rights activist in China. Her confrontational protests against gender-based injustices helped her gain fame and broad support from many Chinese people, including the famous contemporary artist Ai Weiwei. However, Hooligan Sparrow's life with her teenage daughter, Yaxin, is shown to be under constant assault from local authorities and the government. Hired gangs regularly harass and beat her, her office is raided and destroyed, and she is thrown out of one town after another. The threat even affects the documentary itself, with the director, Nanfu Wang, being forced to take apart her recording equipment and hide the pieces several times. Despite everything they endure, Sparrow and her daughter's pure and true spirits shine through this film.