In 2008, during the melamine-tainted milk powder scandal in China, one of the rights defenders and parent of an affected child, Guo Li, is about to have his story brought to the big screen. Recently, Guo Li informally reached an agreement with renowned Chinese director Zhou Difei to adapt his autobiography “A Flying Dad” into a movie, showcasing his journey of seeking justice for over a decade.
The consumption of tainted milk powder led to Guo Li’s daughter developing kidney stones. Milk powder containing the chemical melamine caused numerous children in China to suffer from kidney stones.
Guo Li stood up for his daughter’s rights and was wrongfully convicted of “extortion” by the dairy company Shien and the Ashely Company in 2009. He was sentenced to five years in prison by the Chaozhou Court in Guangdong for the crime of “extortion.”
During his imprisonment, Guo Li faced inhumane treatment for refusing to give up his appeal. In July 2014, Guo Li was released after serving his sentence. He appealed the Chaozhou Court’s verdict to the Guangdong Provincial Higher Court. On April 7, 2017, the Guangdong Provincial Supreme Court retried the case and acquitted Guo Li.
Guo Li remained steadfast and eventually became the only parent of a victim in the tainted milk powder incident to receive national compensation.
According to Radio Free Asia, Guo Li, who currently resides in Canada, revealed in an interview on February 26 that he had reached an agreement with Chinese director Zhou Difei to adapt his autobiographical work “A Flying Dad” into a film. Guo Li said, “I received an invitation to transfer the film and adaptation rights of my book ‘A Flying Dad Guo Li’ to the film and television industry, with the book as the main storyline for the movie.”
The movie “A Flying Dad” aims to faithfully portray Guo Li’s real experiences and narrate the story of a father wrongfully imprisoned by unscrupulous dairy companies but who continued to uphold his beliefs and fight against injustice.
In addition to portraying a family tragedy, the film’s theme also reflects the impact of the social system on ordinary people. The movie plans to focus on the three core elements of “fatherly love,” “fighting for rights,” and “social responsibility,” hoping to realistically depict the complexity and conflicts of the events.
Guo Li said, “This is a very compelling story and a manifestation of the current spirit of resistance and rights advocacy. The main goal of this film is to help people understand the greatness and significance of fatherly love.” The filming and preparation of the movie are expected to take one to two years.
Guo Li emphasized, “This struggle from 2008 to 2025 serves as an encouragement for everyone to bravely uphold their legitimate rights in accordance with the law. It also serves as a reminder to never forget our shame and this incident in history. Additionally, it is important for everyone, including consumers overseas, especially victims and consumers in China, to remember to firmly adhere to the right path and not be intimidated by difficulties and collusion between officials and businesses.”
Guo Li stated that the fight for rights is not just a representation of his personal experience but a spiritual expression. He said, “I want everyone to know that as a father, I must protect the legitimate rights of citizens. Regardless of the difficulties faced, the courageous spirit of rights defenders, even at the cost of their lives.”
Guo Li hopes that through this film, more people will understand the severity of food safety issues and recognize the challenges consumers face in defending their rights. He expressed, “History should not be forgotten, and we must bravely use the law to protect our legitimate rights. Even in the face of power, we must uphold justice because only through perseverance can we have a chance of achieving ultimate victory.”
On September 11, 2008, shortly after the Beijing Olympics, China witnessed a major food safety incident involving Sanlu brand infant formula tainted with melamine and scandals related to businesses and officials concealing the truth. Official figures revealed that across China, there were 300,000 affected infants and at least six children died from kidney stones due to melamine-tainted dairy products.
In 2010, then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, during an online exchange with netizens before the National People’s Congress, mentioned the tainted milk powder incident. He disclosed that the census data showed that the number of children affected by melamine-tainted milk powder reached 30 million.
Jiang Yalin, a parent of a baby with kidney stones from Jinhua, Zhejiang, told Voice of America that the figure of “30 million children affected by tainted milk powder” was the first official number she had heard related to melamine-tainted milk powder. She expressed anger at the government’s opaque handling and ambiguous attitude towards this incident.