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I had never cast a vote in all my life. This time I voted with my feet.

# Review

Walking the line, or “走线” in Mandarin, is a colloquial term that refers to the crossing of the Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama for thousands of Chinese asylum seekers trying to enter the United States. This film made by WHYNOT (歪脑), a Chinese-language news outlet affiliated with Radio Free Asia, follows several migrants and explores both the migrants’ stories as well as their journeys.

Being funded indirectly by the American government, the film definitely portrays mostly one side of the story, mainly that of the Chinese migrants who are unhappy with the Chinese government and the state of China as a country. Despite this, the film is a great piece of journalism which showcases the motivations and hardships of the asylum seekers. The various people include a family who gave up a comfortable life back home in hope of improving their child’s future, a man who became disillusioned with the government after being censored online, and a gay couple who are seeking to get married. Some of the people are forced to embark on the harsh journey but for others, it’s a spur-of-the-moment decision. The dedication of the filmmakers to accompany the migrants on their hard journey is very commendable.

# Conclusion

An interesting documentary that is available online.

# Overall rating: 7.3

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