Film Screening: "In The Name of Confucius" + Q&A with Director (East Bank)

In the Name of Confucius is an award-winning documentary exposing China's multi-billion dollar Confucius Institute (CI) program. It is the first documentary exposé of China's CI system and the growing global controversies surrounding it - loss of academic integrity, foreign influence, violations of human rights codes, and even potential infringements on national security.

Confucius Institutes (or CIs) are Chinese language and culture programs that are fully funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and are set up in partnership with educational institutions around the world, including the University of Minnesota. Since 2004, CIs have found their way into over 1,700 universities and schools worldwide. Beijing describes the CIs as an important part of China's "overseas propaganda setup" and continues to open new institutes at a rate of one every week or two. However, an increasing number of schools have ended their relationships with CIs since 2013.

When Canada's largest school board is slated to open the world's largest Confucius Institute, the school trustees find themselves embroiled in an unprecedented public outcry. Joined by one former CI instructor whose defection and discrimination complaint led to the first-ever closure of a CI on a North American campus, hundreds of disgruntled parents launch a No-CI campaign. They are soon confronted by CI supporters, allegedly rallied by the Chinese consulate. The school board then turns into a battleground as the tension between the two camps grows—culminating in a vote that will decide the fate of the CI partnership. What will the school board choose: principles or interests?

The film has won 10 international awards and nominations and has seen highly successful screenings in America, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Taiwan, Spain, South Africa, Denmark, and Germany.

The Confucius Institute operated at the University of Minnesota for 10 years before it was closed down in 2019 after the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which blocked the U.S. Department of Defense from funding Chinese language programs at institutions with Confucius Institutes without a waiver, was passed.

Although most CIs were closed down in the United States, the CCP has never really given up on exporting its ideology and propaganda to Western society and on controlling dissidents abroad. Just last year, a Chinese language book "Discussing Everything Chinese", which is still being sold on Amazon, at Harvard bookstore, San Francisco State University, and other U.S bookstores, was found to have genocidal views on Falun Gong practitioners. After all, the name "Confucius" was merely used as a pretty cloak to hide the CCP's true intentions. After a cloak is dirtied, it is simply thrown away and replaced with a new one.

Location: Kenneth H. Keller Hall, room 3-210.

Date: Friday, March 28th, 2025.

Time: 5:30 - 7:00 PM.

Catering: Domino's (pizzas) and Beverages provided (please register so we can estimate the order amount).

*** Note: If Saint Paul campus works better for you, we will also organize the screening at Saint Paul Student Center Theater (you can register here).

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kenneth H. Keller Hall, 200 Union Street Southeast, Minneapolis, United States