2017 Red Rock Film Festival

The China Mission
Western States Premiere • Documentary Full-length Feature • Documentary
Genre: Asian, Christian, History
2017 • Ireland • 85 min. • 1.78:1
In English
DIR Peter Kelly, SCR , PRO Peter Kelly, ExePro , Co-Pro, , DP/CIN , ProDes , Edit , Costume , Mus , Art , SndMix , SndEd , Cast


The China Mission chronicles the efforts, adventures and experiences of Irish catholic missionaries in China between 1920 and 1954 - times of political chaos, famine, floods, civil war and world war. This is not a small story of isolated individuals; over four decades, hundreds of Irish men and women worked in social, pastoral and disaster relief services and were swept up in epic events at an extraordinarily turbulent but fascinating period of Chinese history. For example, the Yangtze River floods of 1931 killed an estimated 4 million people. It remains the greatest natural disaster in human history and Irish missionaries were heavily involved in the relief efforts. When the Japanese invaded China during WWII, Irish missionaries found themselves in occupied and unoccupied territory. The war wreaked a heavy toll in China but the defeat of Japan did not bring peace. The Chinese people endured civil war until Communist forces were victorious.  And there was to be no place in Communist China for the Irish missionary priests and sisters who had worked in the country for four decades. Mao Zedong declared war on religion and persecuted foreigners in particular. Foreign missionaries were arrested and imprisoned in harsh conditions. By 1954 all had been expelled. This film makes extensive use of rare archival photographs and film ‘ much of it never seen before. Promotional films made by missionaries themselves are featured alongside international newsreels which help set the political and historical context. The China Mission is an extraordinary story of cultural interaction, and commitment in the face of natural disaster and political danger.




 35 Pieces




U.S. Premiere • Experimental Shorts • Experimental
Genre: Experimental, Animation




2017 • USA • 10 min. • Digital
In with English subtitles
DIR Steven Siegel, SCR Steven Siegel, PRO Steven Siegel, ExePro , Co-Pro, , DP/CIN , ProDes , Edit , Costume , Mus , Art , SndMix , SndEd , Cast Alice Linder




35 Pieces is a follow up to “A Puzzle for Alice”, and is built from visual art, a voice over narrative, and music. It is a 9 minute ride through the artist’s vision and thoughts.