In the 1990s, China launched a campaign to extract blood plasma from its citizens. The government paid villagers to donate blood, but most of the equipment was contaminated with HIV. A massive HIV/AIDS crisis ensued, with approximately 300,000 people contracting AIDS in Henan province alone. The Chinese government has vehemently ignored the crisis, which is worsened by the pervasive social stigma attached to HIV/AIDS patients. Ximei, the subject of the eponymous documentary, unknowingly received HIV-contaminated blood after a farming accident. Now, she fights to raise awareness about the crisis and build a community with other victims. Shot over seven years, Ximei exposes a shocking history and the state oppression that Ximei continues to fight today. Moreover, the film is a tribute to Ximei’s indefatigable spirit and her absolute refusal to let this crisis be forgotten.
Special Guests: Co-directors Andy Cohen and Gaylen Ross