New Showbiz

You are here:
China's Haze: Under the Doom

China's Haze: Under the Doom

2015

Director

Cissie Fan

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Chai Jing's documentary about the massive smog problem in China. Chai Jing started making the documentary when her as yet unborn daughter developed a tumour in the womb, which had to be removed very soon after her birth. Chai blames air pollution for the tumour. The film, which combines footage of a lecture with interviews and factory visits, has been compared with Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth in both its style and likely impact. The film openly criticises state-owned energy companies, steel producers and coal factories, as well as showing the inability of the Ministry of Environmental Protection to act against the big polluters.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.2/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film focuses on environmental crisis and public health. There is no explicit evidence regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing heteronormativity.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative centers on a female protagonist who uses intellectual rigor to challenge male-dominated industries. This subverts conventional expectations of female passivity in political discourse.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The documentary provides a localized perspective on a global issue. It challenges Western-centric environmental discourse by highlighting systemic failures within the Chinese industrial complex.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The film critiques traditional institutions, such as state-owned energy companies, for prioritizing industrial output over human life. It frames the citizenry as victims of large-scale capital.

Disability Representation

Good

A personal medical crisis involving a fetal tumor serves as the central catalyst. This links physical vulnerability directly to systemic environmental negligence and the pursuit of truth.

Strengths

  • Centers a female protagonist who challenges powerful, male-dominated state industries through investigative tenacity.
  • Provides a necessary non-Western perspective on global environmental issues and systemic industrial failures.
  • Effectively links personal medical vulnerability to broader systemic negligence and environmental crisis.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit representation or thematic engagement with LGBTQ+ narratives.
  • Focus remains narrow, primarily addressing environmental and industrial critique rather than broader social identities.

AI Analysis

China's Haze: Under the Doom is a powerful investigative documentary that centers on a female voice challenging massive, male-dominated industrial structures. By using a personal medical crisis as a catalyst, the film connects individual physical vulnerability to systemic environmental negligence. The film excels in its cultural critique, deconstructing the efficacy of state institutions and prioritizing social welfare over industrial output. It offers a vital non-Western perspective on the global environmental crisis. However, the film lacks engagement with LGBTQ+ themes and remains focused on a specific domestic context. While it subverts gendered political expectations, it does not address broader identity-based diversity beyond its central protagonist.

How are these scores produced? →

Similar Movies

Movie poster for Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes

2022

No user ratings available yet
Diversity score: 6.3 out of 10

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.