| Please Vote for Me | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Weijun Chen |
| Produced by | Don Edkins |
| Edited by | Jean Tsien |
Production company | Steps International |
| Distributed by | First Run Features |
Release date |
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Running time | 58 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
Please Vote for Me (Chinese: 请投我一票; pinyin: Qǐng tóu wǒ yī piào) is a 2007 documentary film following the elections for class monitor in a 3rd grade class of eight-year-old children in the Evergreen Primary School in Wuhan, China. The candidates, Luo Lei, Xu Xiaofei, and Cheng Cheng, compete against each other for the coveted role and are egged on by their teachers and doting parents. This was reported to be an interesting use of classic democratic voting principles and interpersonal dynamics.[1]
The documentary gives a glimpse into China's contemporary urban middle classes. It won the Sterling Feature Award at Silverdocs in 2007. In November 2007, Please Vote for Me was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar shortlist. The list was narrowed to five films on January 22, 2008,[2] but Please Vote for Me did not make it to the final five.
The film is part of the "Why Democracy?" series. It was aired in no less than 35 different countries around the world in October 2007, including BBC in the UK and PBS (as part of Independent Lens) in the United States.
- ^ cf. Catalani review of the film in The Asian Reporter
- ^ "Shortlist for docu Oscar unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. November 20, 2007. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2007.