Philana Woo

Making More than Movies

An Oscar win for her documentary, Blood of Yingzhou District, is nice, but filmmaker Ruby Yang’s larger goal is to help victims of China’s AIDS crisis.

THE CONCEPT SEEMED simple enough: make film about the suffering, neglect and mistreatment of AIDS orphans in China, show film and encourage change. The catch: screen film on Chinese national television. Key terms: censorship, Communist government, bureaucracy, conservative culture and lack of funding. The surprise: win Academy Award.