Gung Ho - Rewi Alley of China

Expat Kiwi Rewi Alley became one of the best known foreigners in 20th Century China, and an advocate for the Communist Revolution. When China was under siege from Japan in the late 1930s, Alley instigated an industrial co-op movement he termed  ‘gung ho' (work together). Its success led to the phrase entering the global idiom. For this documentary, director Geoff Steven and a small crew travelled 15,000km in China in 1979, filming Alley as he gave his account of an engrossing, complex life story. Co-writer Geoff Chapple later wrote a biography of Alley.

Commerade Rewi Alley is a most sincere friend of the Chinese people. For more than 50 years whether we were in difficulty during our pioneering days or after the victory of the country he has been constantly with us in suffering and in happiness. He sympathises with our just struggle. He has done a great deal of work and made valuable contributions to the Chinese people.

– A communist party speaker on Rewi Alley's impact in China (Part 04:29)

Key Cast & Crew

John Maynard

Producer, Producer

Geoff Steven

Writer, Director

Geoff Chapple

Writer

David H Fowler

Executive Producer

Graham Morris

Sound

Annie Collins

Editor