‘Wukan: After the Uprising’ airs Thursday, 4 July on Al Jazeera

On Thursday, 4 July 2013, Al Jazeera English premieres Wukan: After The Uprising, a truly unique documentary series from China about grassroots democracy, filmed over one year with unprecedented access to the newly elected Village Committee of Wukan.

China is no stranger to rural uprisings. Tens of thousands of protests erupt across the country each year, many over the illegal sale of communal village land by corrupt local officials. Few demonstrations lead to real change but in 2011 one community defied the odds.

Wukan, a village in China’s southern Guangdong province, captured the world’s attention when it achieved a rare victory. After weeks of noisy protests, a crackdown by local authorities and the death of a leading activist, demonstrators succeeded in ousting the Village Committee, which had held power for more than four decades. Democratic elections were announced and Wukan made international headlines.

Wukan: After the Uprising tells the story of the village’s journey after its extraordinary victory. This four-part observational documentary series looks at the challenges of a community’s transition to democracy, through the eyes of former rebels now entrusted with the task of leading the village and regaining lost land.  

As the international press left Wukan after its historic vote, Al Jazeera stayed on to follow the newly elected Village Committee in action. Over the course of more than a year, award-winning filmmakers Lynn Lee and James Leong documented Wukan’s unique experience with democracy.

From the high of the elections, to the grind of everyday work, to the dilemmas of leadership, this is a rare and intimate portrait of rural China in the midst of remarkable change.

Rebels To Politicians, the first episode, premieres 4 July 2013 at 11:30pm WAT and also screens 5 July at 10:30am, 6 July at 4:30am and 7 July at 5:30pm.