As the title of Theresa Kowall-Shipp's documentary profile makes clear, Anastasia Lin, Miss World Canada 2015, is no ordinary beauty queen. Lin's father, who lives in China, is a staunch Communist, and she remembers singing pro-Communist songs in school, which she now sees as a form of brainwashing. After her parents divorced, Lin and her mother moved to Toronto where she got involved with Falun Gong, a group banned by China, and sought out acting roles in films about Chinese persecution. Inspired by Iranian-Canadian activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam, who was Miss World Canada 2003, Lin became a pageant contestant to speak out about religious freedom. At first, the Chinese government celebrates her win, but when they find out about her politics, they make her father's life miserable. After the 2015 Miss World pageant moves from Australia to China, she looks forward to speaking out, but then she is barred from entering the country. She spends the rest of the year giving speeches around the world. In 2016, Lin re-enters the pageant to speak out about involuntary organ harvesting. But since the London-based Miss World organization receives support from Chinese sponsors, Lin loses her dressmaker, although a local designer steps in to offer his services. When the pageant forbids her from speaking to the press, word gets out, and a compromise is struck. But by then, the fix is in, and she doesn't fare as well as the year before. Unfortunately, by focusing so intently on Lin, the abuses at the heart of her protest receive short shrift in Kowall-Shipp's film, although China's distrust of Western media may have complicated her efforts in that regard. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Badass Beauty Queen: The Story of Anastasia Lin
(2018) 65 min. DVD: $99: public libraries; $295 w/PPR: colleges & universities. Seventh Art Releasing. Volume 33, Issue 6
Badass Beauty Queen: The Story of Anastasia Lin
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: