Mao, l'empereur rouge, la longue marche

A three-part portrait of Mao Zedong, a peasant's son who became a revolutionary and then a totalitarian leader. The story of a destiny that tells the collective history of modern China. Mao Zedong was born in 1893 in a rural China beset by political instability and social upheaval. After the revolution of 1911, which precipitated the fall of the Empire, the country was dominated by imperialist powers. The young Mao, whose political conscience was awakening, dreamed of seeing China return to its former greatness. Influenced by the Russian Revolution of October 1917 and embracing Marxist ideology, the activist co-founded the Chinese Communist Party, soon establishing himself as its supreme leader, notably during the Long March that ended in 1935. In 1949, after the war between the Kuomintang nationalists and the Communists, he seized power and proclaimed the People's Republic of China.

Directed by Paul Wiederhold, Annette Baumeister, Mao, l'empereur rouge, la longue marche leans on a strong ensemble — Romanus Fuhrmann, Lijia Zhang, Chloé Froissart — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2024.