The Gate of Heavenly Peace

A sobering, intellectually rigorous documentary that traces how extremism on both sides of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests silenced moderate voices and led to tragedy.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace is a feature-length documentary about the 1989 protest movement, reflecting the drama, tension, humor, absurdity, heroism, and many tragedies of the six weeks from April to June in 1989. The film reveals how the hard-liners within the government marginalized moderates among the protesters (including students, workers and intellectuals), while the actions of radical protesters undermined moderates in the government. Moderate voices were gradually cowed and then silenced by extremism and emotionalism on both sides.