October 2, 2007 (Toronto) - Chinese officials deny capturing, interrogating, beating, imprisoning, killing and selling the organs of thousands of practitioners of Falun Gong, an ancient method of exercise and meditation for health and well-being. The evidence, however, in Peter Rowe's new film, BEYOND THE RED WALL: The Persecution of Falun Gong, shows the opposite. The one-hour documentary, airing on CBC Newsworld's The Lens on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 10:00pm, exposes the ongoing governmental persecution of thousands, including a Canadian citizen, who have suffered in China's attempt to eliminate the peaceful practise of Falun Gong.

"This discrimination against and attempted elimination of a peaceful worldwide group, whose motto is 'Truthfulness, Benevolence and Forbearance,' is Chinese governmental policy," said multi-award-winning filmmaker Peter Rowe. "I needed to investigate that and bring it more into the public eye as the most monumental, non-wartime human rights abuse of our time."

British Columbia human rights lawyer Clive Ansley believes the world should not be sending athletes to the Beijing Olympics in the fact of such extreme violations of human rights. BEYOND THE RED WALL follows up on the shocking allegations, supported by a report co-authored by lawyer David Matas and David Kilgour, former Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, that Chinese authorities have removed the corneas, kidneys and other body parts from living prisoners for sale to Chinese and foreign buyers.

Falun Gong, which is apolitical, informal, free of charge, run by volunteers, and practised by millions in some 60 countries, was outlawed in China in 1999. In 2000, Canadian artist Kunlun Zhang, a visiting McGill University professor and Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested on a visit to China. Irwin Cotler, Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada from 1997 to 2004, was instrumental in spearheading the movement that freed Professor Kunlun from a Chinese labour camp in 2001.

Other political figures who speak out in BEYOND THE RED WALL include U.S. Congress members Chris Smith and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Zhang Weidong, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada; and Canadian reporter Ian Johnson, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on Falun Gong in the Wall Street Journal.

Despite protests by such groups as Amnesty International and individual activists such as Richard Gere, the horrors continue. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners remain imprisoned in China.

BEYOND THE RED WALL: The Persecution of Falun Gong is written, produced and directed by Peter Rowe in association with CBC Television, Telefilm Canada, Canadian Television Film, and Canada and Ontario Tax Credits. Rowe previously produced "Popcorn with Maple Syrup" for CBC and is currently the producer of "Angry Planet," now in its second season on OLN. The Lens, CBC Newsworld's documentary showcase, airs Tuesdays at 10:00pm ET/PT.

For further information, downloadable or CD photos and DVD screeners, please contact:

Janice Kaye,
[email protected] , 416.697.6098

Janice Kaye
Creative Communications
416.361.3332
[email protected]