AFI Dallas International Film Festival - ‘Please Vote For Me’

(China, 2007, 58 mins)
In Mandarin with English subtitles

Directed By: Weijun Chen

Winner of the Sterling Audience Award at the AFI Silverdocs Film Festival, Please Vote for Me is one of the most insightful and enjoyable documentaries of the year.

In a school of Wuhan, China, it’s time to elect a class monitor. Three eight-year-old contenders are chosen to square off: an incumbent known for his harsh dictatorship, the smart yet shy girl with a penchant for gossip, and the much-loved class clown. While their parents coach and strategize as the free election approaches, the children face their fears and their challengers in a no-holds-barred series of classroom debates. The election elicits betrayals, tears and laughter, revealing the hardships of campaigning and the lessons of dealing with defeat.

In this immensely entertaining snapshot of a culture going through change and the growing pains of their children, Weijun Chen’s (To Live Is Better Than to Die) expertly crafted film will have you on the edge of your seat as the winner is announced.

Information from the AFI website