Nanfu Wang: What it was like to grow up under China's one-child policy
نانفوو وانگ: گەورەبوون لەژێر یاسایی یەک منداڵی چین چۆن هەستێکی دروست کردم
Nanfu Wang uncovers untold stories about human rights in China. Full bio
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to be the pillar of the family.
its one-child policy.
یاسای هەبوونی یەک منداڵی لە چین.
and ordered my mom to be sterilized.
کە ببێتە خەسێنراو.
بۆ ئەوەی ناوی خێزانەکە هەڵبگرێت.
to carry on the family name.
منداڵی دووەمیان ببێت.
to have a second child,
from one-child families.
کەیەک منداڵیان هەبوو.
for having two children.
گەورەیان کردووە بە هەبوونی دوو منداڵ.
and guilt came from.
لە کوێووە سەریهەڵداوە.
I had my own first child.
منداڵی یەکەمم لە دایک بوو
that ever happened in my life.
on my own childhood,
my memories of early life in China.
for a permission from the government
ڕێگەپێدان لە حوکمەت وەرگرن
who lived under the one-child policy.
لەژێر یاسای هەبوونی یەک منداڵی ژیاون.
a documentary about it.
لەسەر ئەو بابەتە ئامادە بکەم،
all of the babies born in my village,
لە دایکبووی گوندەکەمان کردبوو،
when I interviewed her.
you delivered throughout your career?"
مامانیت بۆ چەند منداڵ کردووە؟'
and sterilizations.
و خەساندنی کردووە.
would survive an abortion,
لە لەبارچوون ڕزگاریان دەبوو.
after delivering it.
لە سەر تاوانکاری و قوربانی،
of perpetrators and victims.
with the consequences.
my interview with the midwife,
تەواو کرد،
with elaborate homemade flags.
ڕازێندرابووەوە.
of a baby on it.
that were sent by families
لەلایەن ئەو خێزانانە نێردرابوون
their infertility problems.
لە چارەسەرەری کێشەی نەزۆکی.
and sterilizations --
was to help families have babies.
مامانی کردنە بۆ لەدایک بوونی منداڵان.
families have babies,
بۆ منداڵە تازە لە دایک بووەکان،
what she did in the past.
ئەو کارانەی لە ڕابردوو ئەنجامیداوە.
she, too, was a victim of the policy.
کە ئەویش قوربانیەکی یاسایەکەیە،
and necessary for China's survival.
ڕاست و پێویستە بۆ ڕزگاربوونی چین.
was right for her country.
کە بۆ وڵاتەکەی باش بووە.
around myself when I grew up.
لە کاتی گەورە بوونم،
the one-child policy
will be arrested.]
ئەوا دەستگیردەکرا[
against disobeying it.
feeling embarrassed
can be influenced by the propaganda,
کاریگەری پروپاگەندەکە،
to make sacrifices for the greater good
چاکەی گشتی
very dark and tragic.
where this happens.
کە ئەمەی بە سەر هاتبێت.
where propaganda isn't present.
more open and free than China,
کە زۆر لە چین کراوەترن،
what propaganda looks like.
میدیایی خۆی مەڵاس دەدات،
without our knowledge.
نەوەک زانیاریەکانمان.
to accepting propaganda as truth,
کە پڕوپاگاندە وەک ڕاستی پەسەندبکات،
replaces the truth
جێگەی ڕاستی بگرێتەوە
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nanfu Wang - Documentary filmmakerNanfu Wang uncovers untold stories about human rights in China.
Why you should listen
Nanfu Wang's Peabody Award-winning documentary, Hooligan Sparrow -- which follows maverick activist Ye Haiyan as she faces government surveillance and harassment after advocating for sexually abused schoolgirls -- was shortlisted for a 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. She also directed and produced I Am Another You, winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, and her latest film, One Child Nation, which explores the history of China's birth policy and its profound effects on generations of Chinese parents and children. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and a lack of access to formal education en route to earning three master's degrees from Shanghai University, Ohio University and New York University. She teaches editing at the School of Visual Arts as well as cinematography at New York University.
Nanfu Wang | Speaker | TED.com