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CHINA / SOCIETYDocumentary film on stories of cotton farmers in Xinjiang region set for nationwide release on May 7By Liu Xin and Zhao JuechengPublished: Apr 30, 2025 12:10 AM Updated: Apr 30, 2025 12:56 AM
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Photo: Poster of Fabric of Lives
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The documentary film Fabric of Lives will be released nationwide in cinemas on May 7.
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The documentary film Fabric of Lives will be released nationwide in cinemas on May 7.
Fabric of Lives, a documentary film that follows the Arkin and Zhao Qiang families in Awat County – known as the home of Chinese long-staple cotton, in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as they navigate the entire cotton production process, is set to premiere nationwide on May 7.
Filmed in a cinéma vérité style, the 80-minute documentary chronicles the families’ experiences during a challenging harvest season, marked by labor shortages, injuries and continuous rainfall. However, through perseverance and collaboration, the two families have overcome difficulties and ultimately achieved a rewarding harvest after a year of hard work.
The production team visited Awat twice in 2021 and 2023, embedding two cinematographers within the farmers' households to document daily life from an observational perspective. Fabric of Lives unfolds without a scripted narrative, relying entirely on real-life events to tell the story, Liu Guoyi, the film’s director told the Global Times.
“During the filming process, I tried to understand what cotton truly means to the local people. Perhaps I can sum it up by saying that their livelihoods, their lives, are carried on each and every cotton,” said Liu.
Ahead of its release, Fabric of Lives held a special cotton field premiere in Awat. Against the backdrop of the spring planting season, more than 600 villagers gathered at an open-air venue on the village outskirts to attend the screening, becoming the film's first audience.
