“State Organs” Documentary Screens in Washington, D.C.; Audience Shocked and in Tears

On October 3, 2025, Rotary International hosted a screening of the award-winning documentary State Organs at the Westin Hotel in Washington, D.C. The photo shows the post-screening Q&A session between experts and attendees. (Photo by Zhang Yi / The Dajiyuan)

(People News) Twenty years ago, two kind and bright young people were forcibly disappeared in mainland China. For twenty years, their families have been searching desperately for their whereabouts…

According to The Dajiyuan reporter Zhang Yi in Washington, D.C., for 17 years, a Chinese doctor lived under constant fear and persecution — because he was both a witness to and a participant in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) live organ harvesting.

These are true stories depicted in the award-winning documentary State Organs. On the evening of October 3, Rotary International screened the film in the Westin Hotel ballroom in Washington, D.C. More than 100 Rotarians and other guests attended. Many were shocked to tears and said they hoped more people would see the film and help stop the atrocity of forced organ harvesting.

The documentary includes interviews with the families of forcibly disappeared Falun Gong practitioners, doctors who participated in organ harvesting operations, and eyewitnesses who saw live extractions. It exposes the CCP’s state-led system of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners. State Organs has won 42 international awards and was nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the 2025 Oscars. It also won the Leo Awards in Canada for Best Documentary and Best Music.

The CCP’s State-Run Organ Harvesting Industry

On October 3, 2025, Rotary International screened State Organs at the Westin Hotel in Washington, D.C. The photo shows The Dajiyuan senior editor Jan Jekielek speaking with the audience. (Photo by Zhang Yi / The Dajiyuan)

Jan Jekielek told the audience, “Yes, there is an organ black market in the world. But what’s different about China is, first, these transplants are state-directed; second, the sources are vulnerable populations, mostly detainees whose names are never made public and whose families have no idea where they are.”

He added, “As shown in the film, the CCP can find a matching donor in just a few days, because the testing has already been done in advance.”

“It’s as if there exists a ‘living organ bank’ of millions of people ready to be used at any time. When someone pays a high price and secretly accesses the medical system, they can obtain the needed organ almost immediately.”

“The China Tribunal estimated that 60,000–90,000 of these transplant surgeries occur each year in China.”

In March 2020, the independent China Tribunal in London issued its final judgment:“Forced live organ harvesting has been carried out extensively across China for years. Falun Gong practitioners are one — and likely the main — source of organs.”

“The persecution and medical testing of Uyghurs is a more recent development.”The tribunal further stated:“The waiting times promised by Chinese hospitals for organ transplants are extraordinarily short.”“The evidence overwhelmingly shows that China’s so-called ‘voluntary organ donation system’ cannot account for the large number of organs used in transplants.”

“Any government or organization that maintains substantial dealings with China in related fields — medicine, industry, tourism, aviation, finance, law, pharmaceuticals, insurance, education, or the arts — should recognize that they are interacting with a criminal regime.”

Due to the CCP’s heinous practice, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation has explicitly banned Chinese transplant teams from presenting papers at its conferences.

Rotary District Director: “Every Audience Member Was Moved”

On October 3, 2025, Rotary International screened State Organs in Washington, D.C. Pictured: Rotary District Director Amelia Stansell. (Photo by Zhang Yi / The Dajiyuan)

“I looked around and saw everyone deeply moved. Many had tears in their eyes — that moment touched me the most,” said Amelia Stansell.

“To see my fellow Rotarians and everyone in the room — as fellow human beings — all emotionally affected left the deepest impression on me,” she told The Dajiyuan.

Stansell said the CCP’s practice of harvesting organs from Falun Gong and other prisoners of conscience is “horrifying.”“It’s truly terrible. From what I’ve learned, these are peaceful, kind people. I cannot comprehend this cruelty. Falun Gong practitioners are people full of peace and love, yet they are treated like this.”

Falun Gong, a spiritual practice guided by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, was first taught publicly in Changchun, China, in 1992 and quickly gained popularity. Official statistics once showed that practitioners outnumbered CCP members. On July 20, 1999, the CCP launched a campaign of eradication against Falun Gong, using hundreds of torture methods — including live organ harvesting — to force practitioners to renounce their faith.

Stansell said she resonated with the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance:“These three words have profound meaning. I’m a Christian, and there are very similar ideas in Christianity.”“I saw footage of Falun Gong’s exercises on the National Mall — those scenes gave me hope and moved me deeply.”“As an American, I believe our country must take a stand to stop these atrocities,” she said. “I’m glad Congress is taking action; this is crucial.”“As individuals, we must also speak out. I hope my fellow Rotarians will bring this film back to their communities to raise awareness and inspire others to act.”

She expressed hope that the U.S. Senate would pass the Falun Gong Protection Act.“I’m the vice-chair of Rotary’s Anti-Slavery Action Group, and human rights are one of my core beliefs. We must protect one another and never allow people to suffer persecution.”

University Librarian: Deep Resonance — Film Reveals the Nature of Communism

On October 3, 2025, Rotary International screened State Organs in Washington, D.C. Pictured: Taras Zvir, librarian in religious studies at The Catholic University of America. (Photo by Zhang Yi / The Dajiyuan)

Taras Zvir told The Dajiyuan he deeply resonated with the film’s message.“I grew up in the Soviet Union, so this really resonates with me. I know the crimes committed under communist regimes. Something as evil as live organ harvesting — we must talk more about it. We need to talk about the evil of communism itself.”“This film is one way to show the world the true nature of communism.”

Rotary Leaders: Rotarians Can Take Action

Virginia Rotary District Director Ravi Cooper said, “This film is very educational. It shows us things happening around the world that we previously knew nothing about.”“Through tonight’s film, we realized that in China, people who spread peace through their faith and spiritual practice are being persecuted — and even face the threat of organ harvesting and death.”“Rotary can take action to support what we saw in this film — stopping the CCP’s forced organ harvesting.”

Countless Falun Gong Practitioners “Forcibly Disappeared”

Rotary Director Stansell, who hosted the screening, said the film’s depiction of Falun Gong practitioners being forcibly disappeared left her deeply reflective:“The phrase ‘forcibly disappeared’ struck me the most. I even wrote it down. This isn’t just kidnapping — people simply vanish, without hope or trace.”

Over the past 26 years, countless Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested and vanished without a trace — including Zhang Yunhe and Huang Xiong, the two main figures featured in State Organs.

Zhang Yunhe, born 1973, was chief accountant at Qingdao Derui Chemical Co. (a German-owned firm). A Falun Gong practitioner, she was arrested in February 2002 and detained at Qingdao Dashan Detention Center for at least six months — after which she disappeared.

Huang Xiong, born 1978, with a college degree and also a Falun Gong practitioner, told his brother in the U.S. by phone on April 19, 2003, that he planned to go to Yunnan to escape police pursuit. That was their last contact. Huang has been missing ever since, his fate unknown.△