信心 Faith 卫学奇 Wei Xueqi (2008) (English subtitles)

（English follows) 该片记录了内蒙古伊敏河地区一群基督徒筹建新教堂的全过程，通过采访与长期跟拍，展现了信徒们对于信仰的理解与实践。 影片核心人物是白主任，负责伊敏河教会事务的基层女性传道人。她所负责的五个聚会点中，只有一个有合法地位，其余皆属“非正式”状态。为了改善信徒们四处分散、聚会条件艰苦的状况，白主任萌生了建立一座能容纳众人、合法合规的大教堂的想法。她花了两年时间，经历了无数次审批、谈判，最终获得政府批准。但教堂工程造价高昂，超过一百万元人民币。面对资金严重不足的困境，她一方面带领信徒集资，另一方面向外地教会寻求援助，终于将工程启动。 建堂过程充满艰难。天气、材料、协调、信心的考验交织而来。然而，教堂终于落成。令人遗憾的是，虽然建筑完工，但施工方迟迟未收到全部工程款项，尚有二十余万元未结清，因此拒绝将教堂正式交付。这一现实打击了白主任，她一度陷入沮丧，甚至遭遇部分信徒的不满和质疑。有人对教堂的设计与建设成果表示失望，资金去向也成了教会内部纷争的话题。 尽管面临债务压力和信徒流失的双重难题，白主任并未动摇，直至欠款清偿完毕之前，教徒们依然回到原本简陋的聚会点继续崇拜与团契。 导演阐述：　　 _中国是个缺少信仰的国家，人们都在为得到更多的财富而努力。电视里能看到的都是火热的经济，人们都在投资股票，谈论的是房子涨价和哪款新车又上市了……人们忽略了精神的重要性。 在内蒙古边远的草原小镇伊敏河，一座基督教堂正在建设，这在当地无疑是件新鲜的事。因为在10年前，信仰基督教在当地还是被禁止的。目前3万人的镇里，大概有1000多人信仰基督教。 纪录片拍摄时间从2006年5月到11月，2008年完成剪辑工作。拍摄见证了建设过程及遇到的困难。教会负责人白秀英因工伤退休，为建教堂付出所有的力量，但还是难免别人的指责。在信仰丧失的年代，教堂的建立象征人们对信仰的渴望。这部纪录片表现了中国人的信仰状况。_ 创作者简介： 卫学奇（1971年---）毕业于轻工学院，生活在广州。作品包括：2000《落雨的天空》，2001《江南印象》 2001《意外》2002《渔人码头》。2004电影《阿莲》 参加维也纳国际电影节与法国贝尔福国际电影节，2006年《流氓强子》 参加法国贝尔福国际电影节和意大利罗马亚洲电影节，2008执导纪录片《信心》，2009年拍摄《在街上晃》。 This film offers a detailed chronicle of a group of Christians in the remote town of Yiminhe, Inner Mongolia, as they undertake the challenging process of building a new church. Through long-term observational footage and in-depth interviews, it documents not only the logistical and financial struggles involved in the church’s construction, but also the spiritual journeys of the believers. At the center of the story is Sister Bai, a local female church leader responsible for overseeing five separate congregational gatherings in the area, of which only one is officially registered and legally recognized. The rest operate without formal approval. Faced with the harsh conditions of scattered, informal gatherings, Bai began advocating for the construction of a large, legally recognized church building to provide a unified space for worship. After two years of navigating bureaucratic procedures, filing applications, and negotiating with authorities, the project was finally granted official approval. Despite this milestone, funding remained a major hurdle—the total cost of the project exceeded one million RMB. Undeterred, Bai rallied believers to contribute what they could and sought help from other churches around the country. The building process was fraught with difficulties—harsh weather, shortages of materials, strained coordination, and moments that tested the resolve of all involved. But eventually, the church was completed. However, the story didn’t end there. With over 200,000 RMB in unpaid construction costs, the contractor refused to hand over the keys to the finished building. Bai, deeply disheartened, also had to face criticism from some congregants, who were dissatisfied with the building’s final outcome or suspicious of how the funds had been managed. Disputes and disillusionment emerged within the church community. Despite this setback, Bai did not waver in her mission. Until the debt could be repaid, the congregation returned to their old, makeshift worship spaces to continue their services and fellowship. In the director’s own words: _“China is a country lacking in faith. People are consumed with pursuing wealth. On television, all you see is a booming economy. People talk about stocks, rising property values, and new car releases… There’s little attention given to spiritual life. “In Yiminhe, a small town nestled in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, the construction of a Christian church was an unfamiliar and striking event. Just a decade earlier, Christianity had still been prohibited in the area. Today, in a town of 30,000 residents, roughly 1,000 identify as Christian. “Filming took place from May to November 2006, with editing completed in 2008. The footage bears witness to the construction process and the many hardships faced along the way. Bai Xiuying, who had retired due to a workplace injury, poured her entire being into the project, often at great personal cost and amid harsh criticism from others. In an era marked by waning spirituality, the church came to symbolize a quiet yearning for faith. This documentary reflects the broader spiritual landscape of contemporary China.”_ About the Creator: Wei Xueqi (1971—) graduated from an institute in the light industry and resides in Guangzhou. His body of work spans both fiction and documentary filmmaking. His early works include The Rainy Sky (2000), Impressions of Jiangnan (2001), Accident (2001), and Fisherman’s Wharf (2002). His 2004 film Ah-Lian was selected for the Vienna International Film Festival and the Belfort International Film Festival in France. In 2006, Rogue Qiangzi was screened at both the Belfort festival and the Asiatica Film Mediale in Rome, Italy. Wei directed the documentary Faith in 2008, followed by Wild Days in 2009.