A Past Written In Blood

The prospect of arrest drove him to work harder and faster. He felt as if he were racing against the police, trying to finish his film before they completed their investigation and took him away. It was nerve-racking but also energizing, and it spurred him on. Hu began editing and putting together what he had. Gradually, the documentary took shape, and he began showing early versions to small groups of friends and distributing it on videodiscs. He believed he was engaged in a delicate, unspoken negotiation with the authorities. If they arrested him, they would be drawing attention to what remained an unfinished film. But if they didn't arrest him, he could keep adding to the documentary and slowly build a larger audience.

As it happened, the film, "Searching for Lin Zhao's Soul," spread faster than Hu expected. A fine arts museum screened it, and then invitations came from colleges across the country. Soon, it was an underground hit.

Sometimes, when Hu took questions from audiences, a few people would challenge him, accusing him of misinterpreting history. But the response was overwhelmingly positive. Older viewers often crowded around him, thanking him for ensuring their experiences were not forgotten. Younger people also embraced the film, saying it opened their eyes to how much they didn't know about their own country's history.

The state security agents eventually knocked on Hu's door. They said they had come just to talk. One asked why Hu's films always dwelled on the negative, and why he never made any positive films about China. Hu replied that he believed it was a filmmaker's duty to look at society critically, and he noted that state television was already full of "positive" reports. But the agent pressed Hu again: Didn't he think there had been progress since Lin Zhao's era?

Yes, Hu replied. If he had made a film like this during Mao's rule, he would have been shot. If he had done it a decade ago, he might have been arrested. "But now you come to my front door, and we can talk to each other like friends," Hu said. "You have been very lenient with me, and this is progress."

The agent couldn't help but agree.

This article is adapted from "Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China," published this month by Simon & Schuster.