"I didn't notice any warning signs… In the festival statement, I even expressed hope that the festival could soon return to China. I didn't want it to become an event in exile," Zhu told DW. He recounted that the pressure began with a call from his father who urged him "not to do anything harmful to the country." Soon after, almost all Chinese filmmakers withdrew their films and foreign guests faced harassment from unidentified individuals.
Back in China, the Wuhan Berlin Film Week also unexpectedly announced its cancelation, prompting speculation it, too, had faced pressure from authorities. International human rights groups warned of Beijing's growing repression both internally and abroad.
