The Coming War on China

A film that has the power to change hearts and minds is always worthy of recognition and John Pilger’s 60^th anniversary piece, The Coming War on China, certainly knows no bounds. Pilger is renowned for his journalistic background in both British and American politics, having written for papers such as the New Statesman, as well as winning the British award for Journalist of the Year twice. His new documentary exposes both his expertise and corruption in the American military.

The Coming War on China could well run alongside films such as Loach’s Kathy Come Home or Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Blackfish, which resonated so well with the cinematic audience that it ultimately resulted in causing both political and environmental change. Pilger’s documentary highlights the extremities of nuclear testing in the Marshall islands as well as the shift in economic power from the USA to China and America’s reaction to this challenge of dominance.

In such a politically unstable climate, this is a story that needs to be heard and is both compelling and authoritative in its approach, demanding the viewer’s ear with emotional testimonies and alternative political accounts on America’s interference with China’s economical rise in power. Although the nature of the film is sometimes difficult to follow, the director’s extensive exploration and exhaustive knowledge is something to be admired, with his wry, sarcastic quips at ministry officials offering brief relief from the heavy subject matter.

Developed and researched over many years (and partially supported by crowdfunding) Pilger’s documentary is, on all accounts, an unprecedented example of a story that was a struggle to tell but fundamentally forces us to question whether we can really afford to be silent.

Chloe Sizer

The Coming War on China is on ITV at 10.40pm on 6^th December 2016.

Watch the trailer for The Coming War on China here: