Leon Lee is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is known for documentaries and narrative films dealing with human-rights issues in China, including the Peabody Award-winning documentary Human Harvest (2014), Letter from Masanjia (2018), and the narrative feature Unsilenced (2021). His work has received a Peabody Award, Canadian Screen Award nominations and multiple Leo Awards.

Early life and career

Lee is originally from China and is based in Vancouver. He has said that he began filmmaking after reading a 2006 newspaper report about allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China, a subject he initially found difficult to believe but began to investigate. His first major documentary, Human Harvest, took eight years to complete. Lee is associated with the Vancouver production company Flying Cloud Productions, which has produced his documentary, narrative and animated films. His films have often addressed subjects considered politically sensitive in China.

In interviews, Lee has said that his previous work prevented him from safely returning to mainland China to film, which shaped the production methods used in later projects, including remote collaboration and overseas production.

Films

Human Harvest

Lee wrote, directed and produced Human Harvest: China's Illegal Organ Trade, a documentary following Canadian investigators David Matas and David Kilgour as they examined allegations that hospitals in China harvested and sold organs from prisoners of conscience, mainly Falun Gong practitioners.

Human Harvest received the 2014 Peabody Award for documentary. It also won the Association for International Broadcasting's international investigative documentary award and the Michael Sullivan Frontline Award for journalism in a documentary film. The film was nominated for the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards.

The Bleeding Edge

Lee wrote, directed and produced the narrative feature The Bleeding Edge. The film stars Anastasia Lin, who was Miss World Canada in 2015. The film screened at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. It received a Gabriel Award in the Drama film category, and Lin won a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Television Movie for her role.

Avenues of Escape

Lee wrote, directed and produced the documentary Avenues of Escape, which was broadcast by documentary Channel and received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Music, Non-Fiction. At the 2017 Leo Awards, Avenues of Escape won four awards in the Feature Length Documentary category, including Best Program, Best Direction and Best Screenwriting.

Letter from Masanjia

Letter from Masanjia is a documentary about Sun Yi, a Chinese engineer and Falun Gong practitioner imprisoned in the Masanjia labour camp, who hid SOS letters in Halloween decorations exported to the United States. One of the letters was found by Oregon resident Julie Keith. Because Lee could not film in mainland China, he worked with Sun Yi remotely, trained him over Skype, and received encrypted footage through intermediaries. The film had its world premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in 2018. It won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the Asian American International Film Festival. In Japan, it was broadcast on NHK BS1's BS World Documentary strand and later received a theatrical release through Group Gendai beginning March 21, 2020.

Letter from Masanjia received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for the Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Award. At the 2019 Leo Awards, it received six nominations and won two awards, including Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Documentary for Lee and Caylan Ford. The film was reviewed by several major publications, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Globe and Mail.

Rag Doll

Lee wrote, directed and produced the animated short film Rag Doll. At the 2021 Leo Awards, Rag Doll won four awards in the Animation Program category: Best Animation Program, Best Direction, Best Screenwriting and Best Art Direction.

Unsilenced

Unsilenced is a narrative feature based on events surrounding the 1999 crackdown on Falun Gong in China. It follows students at Beijing's Tsinghua University and an American journalist as they respond to the campaign of suppression. The film stars Sam Trammell and Anastasia Lin and was written by Lee with Jocelyn Tennant and Ty Chan.

Because of the subject's sensitivity, the production filmed outside mainland China, including in Taiwan and Vancouver. Lee told CBC News that some cast, crew and location owners withdrew from the production over concerns that involvement could jeopardize future work in China. In its review, the Los Angeles Times noted the film's use of anonymous credits and its filming in Taipei and Vancouver. Unsilenced won the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 2021 Austin Film Festival.

Awards and recognition

+ Awards and nominations Year Work Award Category Result 2014 Human Harvest Peabody Award Documentary Won 2015 Human Harvest Association for International Broadcasting Awards International investigative documentary Won 2015 Human Harvest Michael Sullivan Frontline Award Journalism in a documentary Won 2016 Human Harvest Canadian Screen Awards Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program Nominated 2016 Leon Lee RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Honouree Won 2016 The Bleeding Edge Gabriel Awards Drama Won 2017 Avenues of Escape Leo Awards Feature Length Documentary – Best Program Won 2017 Avenues of Escape Leo Awards Feature Length Documentary – Best Direction Won 2017 Avenues of Escape Leo Awards Feature Length Documentary – Best Screenwriting Won 2017 Avenues of Escape Leo Awards Feature Length Documentary – Best Musical Score Won 2018 Avenues of Escape Canadian Screen Awards Best Original Music, Non-Fiction Nominated 2019 Letter from Masanjia Canadian Screen Awards Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Nominated 2019 Letter from Masanjia Leo Awards Feature Length Documentary – Best Screenwriting Won 2021 Rag Doll Leo Awards Animation Program – Best Animation Program Won 2021 Rag Doll Leo Awards Animation Program – Best Direction Won 2021 Rag Doll Leo Awards Animation Program – Best Screenwriting Won 2021 Rag Doll Leo Awards Animation Program – Best Art Direction Won 2021 Unsilenced Austin Film Festival Audience Award, Narrative Feature Won

Filmography

+ Filmography Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 2014 Human Harvest Documentary; Peabody Award winner 2016 The Bleeding Edge Narrative feature 2017 Avenues of Escape Documentary; Leo Award winner 2017 Ravage Short narrative film 2018 Letter from Masanjia Documentary; Canadian Screen Award nominee 2018 Reunion Short narrative film 2020 Rag Doll Animated short; Leo Award winner 2021 Unsilenced Narrative feature; Austin Film Festival Audience Award winner 2024 Mind Wave Narrative feature

References

External links

Flying Cloud Productions