Trapped in the system - China's reform schools | DW Documentary

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Chinese juvenile detention centers are notoriously harsh. Young people end up there for criminal offenses or because their parents can't cope with their rebellious children. The film follows young people in one of these institutions.

There is no way out, every step is monitored and to survive you have to be loyal to the system, not to your friends. This is no Orwellian nightmare, but the "Peach Reform School”, a Chinese juvenile detention center. The documentary, which was filmed at the school for over a year, provides deeply disturbing insights into the Chinese juvenile detention system. From the frightened 11-year-old Wenjun to the secret teenage lovers Lei-gong and Chanjuan to the rough, but ambivalent teacher Zhou Hai. The intimate access to these characters reveals victims in a system that values obedience and order over love and friendship.

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