Walk the Line Director Discussion

 

On February 13th, 2025, Women In International Security (WIIS) held an exclusive discussion on Zoom with Vivian Lee and Alicia Chen, directors of WHYNOT’s documentary film, “Walk the Line.” This powerful documentary follows the journey of over 37,000 Chinese nationals through the Darién Gap to the U.S. The conversation focused on the making of the film and the unique challenges faced by women and LGBTQ+ community members along the way. The discussion was moderated by WIIS Director of Programs and Partnerships, Dr. Layla Hashemi, and the event was hosted by WIIS in partnership with Radio Free Asia and its Mandarin brand, WHYNOT.

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A recording of this event can be found in the WIIS Resource Library.

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Panelist: Vivian Lee

Director, Producer, Writer, WHYNOT

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Panelist: Alicia Chen

Co-Director, Producer, Writer, Narrator

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Moderator: Dr. Layla Hashemi

Director of Programs and Partnerships, WIIS

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Event Summary

The directors of Walk the Line, Alicia and Vivian, shared the inspirations and challenges behind their powerful documentary. Alicia, having previously documented Venezuelan immigrants in Colombia, encountered groups of Chinese immigrants planning to traverse the Darién Gap. This sparked the idea for the film, as Alicia and the WHYNOT team felt motivated to document the resilience and resourcefulness of Chinese migrants on this journey.

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Layla opened the discussion by asking about the difficulties of finding subjects and earning their trust, given the sensitive nature of this migration. As a Taiwanese citizen, Alicia felt that she was able to gain more trust among the interviewees than if she were Chinese, as many of them feared that Chinese journalists could be spying. Despite this, most interviewees were hesitant to appear on camera. Alicia spoke with over 30 individuals, but less than 10 agreed to be filmed. Vivian added that the documentary’s structure and narrative were challenging due to the limited time spent with each subject; the migrants were constantly on the move, and the team did not want to be intrusive. As a result, Vivian and Alicia’s team had to find creative ways to convey the migrants’ experiences, including using animation and voiceovers. At times when the interviewing team encountered complications with the journey or the interviews, they received guidance from a local producer and journalist who had crossed the gap before.

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Layla noted how the documentary was filmed in April and May of 2023 following the global COVID-19 pandemic. She asked the directors how the pandemic affected both the surge in Chinese migration through the Darién Gap, as well as the experiences of the migrants. The directors explained how many migrants faced job losses and restrictions. Overall, migrants cited their growing distrust of the Chinese government as their reason for seeking escape. Alicia discussed the emergence of “runology,” a concept that developed during Shanghai’s lockdown, where migrants shared strategies for fleeing China. She also referenced the White Paper movement and the story of Yu Chun Fei, a migrant who carried a paper and filmed a clip of himself demonstrating his decision to “vote with his feet.”

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The discussion then pivoted to the gendered experiences of the migrants and the directors in making this documentary. The audience viewed a clip from the documentary that played a mother’s testimony of being robbed and having her underwear searched by a guard on a boat during the journey. Layla emphasized the issue of sexual violence during migration and asked the directors how the journey across the Darién Gap was uniquely challenging for women. Alicia shared stories of female migrants like Cindy, who alluded to the desire to live freely with her identity as her reason for migrating. 

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Alicia also described how multiple women were mothers with young children and babies, and some women completed the journey as single mothers. The directors emphasized that women faced incredibly hard decisions and risks. One particularly tragic incident involved the deaths of 8 Chinese migrants, 7 of whom were women. Vivian emphasized that, as a predominantly female team, they aimed to bring attention to the female perspective, especially the courage and resilience of families with young children who made the dangerous trek together.

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The following discussion with the audience addressed the ties between migrants and their families in China, as well as the risks migrants faced in sending money back home. Alicia and Vivian explained that many individuals, despite fears of government retribution, found the courage to share their stories. They also spoke about the complex dynamics of migrant camps in Central America, noting that Chinese migrants were often perceived as having more resources. Consequently, they faced increased exploitation and contributed to the changing landscape of human trafficking in the region.

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Layla, Vivian, and Alicia concluded the discussion by expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to share their film and encouraged the audience to follow the work of WIIS and WHYNOT on social media. 

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WHYNOT Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WHYNOTWainao 

WHYNOT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whynot_wainao/ 

RFA Website: https://www.rfa.org/english/ 

RFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiofreeasia/ 

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Speaker Bios

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Vivian Lee

Born in Beijing and based in Washington DC, Vivian Lee is a multidisciplinary storyteller who has worked creatively across a broad range of platforms to share real human experiences. She is the Deputy Director of 歪脑|WHYNOT, where she continues to bring attention to overlooked social injustices and underrepresented voices in China and within its diaspora communities. Before WHYNOT, she was a video journalist at Voice of America, where she worked for nearly a decade creating compelling narratives and line-producing a daily live newsroom show. She has produced thought-provoking works such as the documentary short The Young People Who “Ran” out of China, Are Their Dreams Coming True?, which won the ONA 2023 Digital Video Storytelling award. Walk the Line is Vivian’s documentary feature debut.

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Alicia Chen

Alicia Chen is an award-winning journalist from Taiwan, focusing on forced migration, democratic movements, and human rights. She has reported on the ground for stories including the Mediterranean refugee crisis, displaced Syrians in Lebanon, social movements in Hong Kong and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For five years she has also reported extensively on China and Taiwan for the Washington Post, the Guardian, Al Jazeera, and others. Chen is one of the first reporters to uncover why and how a growing influx of Chinese immigrants are crossing South and Central America to enter the United States. This reporting was awarded an Honorable Mention at SOPA and led her to this documentary project. As a producer in this film, she trekked through the Darién Gap with Chinese immigrants, following them on their journey to their destination.

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Dr. Layla Hashemi

Dr. Layla M. Hashemi is the Director of Programs and Partnerships at Women In International Security (WIIS). Previously, Layla was a researcher and data analyst at the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) focusing on international supply chains, cybercrime, and illicit trade. She earned her PhD in Public Policy at George Mason University’s Schar School and her Masters in International Relations and Comparative Politics at New York University with a concentration in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. She has held positions at governmental and non-governmental organizations including Forum 2000 and the Journal of Civil Society where she is currently Managing Editor. She was a professor at Montgomery College’s History and Political Science department for over 10 years and currently teaches at George Mason University and George Washington University.  Her volunteer work includes moderating the Anti-Corruption Advocacy Network (ACAN).