【Epoch Times April 21, 2025 News】
A political thriller film titled “The Puppeteers,” produced by New Tang Dynasty (Canada) and New Realm Studios, will premiere on Ganjing World on April 25. The film is set to air for free from 8-11 PM that evening.
The movie draws inspiration from real events in Canada, following the story of Canadian intelligence agent Stella Bolano, played by Canadian actress and singer Amy Rivard. Bolano’s investigation into what appears to be a routine suicide case unveils a massive secret network: the Chinese Communist Party not only establishes illegal police stations within Canada but also deeply infiltrates politics, business, and public opinion to manipulate public sentiment.
As Stella delves deeper into her investigation, she encounters numerous obstacles and even becomes a target for assassination. She must navigate through political conspiracies, life-threatening situations, and make difficult choices regarding personal beliefs and family safety.
“The Puppeteers” serves as a thematic sequel to “Claws of the Red Dragon,” with the original behind-the-scenes team reuniting to continue exposing the CCP’s transnational repression and global expansion.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Kevin Yang, who also directed “Claws of the Red Dragon,” the film features a gripping storyline crafted in collaboration with writer Wang Nian Zhen. The cinematography, helmed by Arthur Cooper, maintains the award-winning visual style from “Claws of the Red Dragon,” portraying Toronto’s resistance and struggles under the shadow of dark forces with chilling precision.
The film not only inherits the political realism style from its predecessor but also blends in elements of spy suspense, intense action sequences, and profound character development, creating a thriller that combines artistic value with societal warning.
“As a director, I always believe that the power of cinema lies in revealing hidden truths,” said Kevin Yang. The creation of “The Puppeteers” stemmed from his profound concern about the CCP’s “transnational repression,” where the communist regime extends its repressive methods overseas to threaten, monitor, and manipulate within free societies.
Yang emphasized that while the film is fictional, its background and events are inspired by real cases and investigative reports. The plot is heavily based on reality, reflecting only a fraction of the CCP’s extensive transnational repression actions.
“As a creator, I feel responsible for telling such stories – not just to raise awareness for persecuted overseas Chinese communities but also to alert society to foreign interventions and the fragility of democratic systems,” he stated.
Yang hopes the film serves as not only an entertainment experience but also a platform for reflection and dialogue. He aims for audiences to leave the movie with a new understanding and awareness, continuing to pay attention to truth, defend freedom, and support those bravely voicing out.
“The Puppeteers” unfolds two storylines, one depicting CCP infiltration into Canadian politics and another portraying the regime’s oppression of activists and dissenters. Renowned activist Sheng Xue is portrayed as a character in the plot, originally intended to play herself but later replaced due to scheduling conflicts.
After watching the film, Sheng Xue expressed, “A good movie is not just an art piece but also a reflection of reality. ‘The Puppeteers’ deeply exposes CCP’s infiltration into democratic societies and cross-border repression, allowing even those who have not experienced it firsthand to feel the shock and awakening.”
As a long-time advocate unveiling CCP’s human rights abuses and supporting movements in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and democratic activism in China, Sheng Xue has faced numerous instances of CCP’s transnational harassment and repression.
“I know how they lure and manipulate hearts with money and have personally experienced their interference in my public activities in Canada through smear campaigns, rumors, and technological disruptions,” she recounted. “These shadows are not confined to underground basements or distant authoritarian machinery but have already seeped into the fabric of free societies. ‘The Puppeteers’ embodies the artistic encapsulation of this history.”
Sheng Xue remarked that the thrilling political film created by director Kevin Yang and writer Wang Nian Zhen, starting from what seems like a typical suicide case, peels back the layers to reveal a vast underground network where the CCP establishes “secret police stations,” infiltrates politics, business, and manipulates media and public opinion in Canada.
“These plotlines may be shocking to many viewers, but for me, it’s a ‘sickeningly familiar’ reality,” she said.
The film’s protagonist, Stella Bolano, portrayed by Amy Rivard, is not just an intelligence agent but also a protector of her family and defender of her beliefs. Sheng Xue believes this dual role design is highly symbolic, much like individuals in the free world who expose the truth about the CCP, continually weighing between “public conscience” and “personal safety.” The choices and threats Stella faces are playing out every day in reality.
“It’s not just a political thriller; it’s a psychological warfare, a political showdown, a battle between justice and evil,” she stated. “Stella being surveilled, isolated, misunderstood, experiencing the lonely feeling of being in the know yet not believed; it reminds me of the anonymous threats I received after public speeches, community isolation, and censorship in Canadian schools under CCP pressure. These are not suspense movie plots but ongoing realities of oppression.”
Sheng Xue believes the film draws from numerous real events, including “Operation Fox Hunt,” the case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and the exposure of overseas police stations, imbuing the fictional plot with strong realism and contemporary relevance. This sets “The Puppeteers” apart from conventional thrillers – it doesn’t just tell a story but exposes truths, challenges authoritarianism, and sounds the alarm.
“We pay more attention to the meaning of the film itself,” said Kevin Yang.
“I was deeply touched by this statement as a participant in the storyline,” Sheng Xue said.
“For many artists, politics may be a subject matter, but for dissenters like us, politics is a real storm. The emergence of ‘The Puppeteers’ is a rare alliance of art and truth, a strong counterstrike against the CCP’s authoritarian export,” she added.
Regarding the film’s real-world significance, Sheng Xue emphasized that the movie serves as a reminder that “the free world still has choices.”
She earnestly urged all friends concerned about democracy and human rights not to view this film merely as entertainment but as a compulsory lesson – in an era where truth is manipulated, and conscience is bought, only by continuing to speak up can we prevent our future from becoming a “sequel to reality.”
Trailer Link: https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/lK0bEbJaoW
Global Premiere Live Stream: Friday, April 25, 8-11 PM Eastern Time (Free to watch)