Screening of Documentary Film – Eat Bitter 吃苦
Followed by post-screening online Q&A with co-director Ningyi Sun

In one of the poorest nations on earth, the Central African Republic, native sand diver
Thomas Boa and construction manager Jianmin Luan, a Chinese national, accept that
struggle and risk are the price of tomorrow’s rest and reward: both are prepared to
“Eat Bitter.” The eye-opening documentary raises the age-old question of what we are
prepared to sacrifice for a better tomorrow, without a promise that it will ever arrive.
Eat Bitter was filmed in the context of the pandemic and general elections in the
Central African Republic. It is an individual-driven story that captures the challenges
and choices faced by two workers from two different cultures. It touches on personal
struggles, poverty, migration, and China-African relations. It had its world premiere at
CPH:DOX in 2023 and has been selected for over 40 world film festivals, including Hot
Docs, Vision du Reel, Shanghai International Film Festival, etc.

There will be a post-screening online Q&A session with one of the co-directors Ningyi
Sun 孙宁忆. Ningyi is a Chinese filmmaker, writer, and producer. Eat Bitter is her first
film. Before entering the filmmaking industry, she worked for the United Nations peace
operation in the Central African Republic.

If you have any questions regarding the event, please feel free to contact Jiahao Zhang at
kell6971@ox.ac.uk.