In 1995 Brian Woods and Kate Blewett uncovered the systematic neglect of abandoned babies in orphanages in China
Kate Blewett and Brian Woods
Peter Fisher
Peter Hugh and Brian Woods
Steve Cooke and Russel Taylor
China
COMMENTThe Dying Rooms is one of those documentaries that you stays with you long after you've seen it. It prompted a storm of media coverage on the situation in Chinese Orphanages and the Chinese government said it would affect relations between the UK and China permanently if the film were to be shown. This film demonstrates how powerful documentary can be and how it can have a lasting effect on the real world by raising awareness of a particular issue. Brian Woods and Kate Blewett have continued to make investigative, journalistic films that have an impact including Dying for Drugs in 2003 about the pharmaceutical industry. They also made a follow up to The Dying Rooms in 1996 called Return to the Dying Rooms. Be prepared for a hard watch.
This film contains scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.
Many thanks to The Royal Geographic Society for giving FourDocs permission to show their images in the film: www.rgs.org/images
