The Transformation of a Pro-Democracy Activist into a Trump Supporter: A Closer Look

### “Night Is Not Eternal” — A Timely Exploration of Autocracy, Resistance, and Hope

In the world of documentary filmmaking, where truth and personal narrative often intertwine, Nanfu Wang has emerged as one of the most unflinching storytellers of our time. Her latest work, *Night Is Not Eternal* (2024), continues her penchant for exploring the harsh realities of authoritarianism, but this time through an intimate study of Rosa María Payá, a Cuban activist brought into the public eye following her father’s mysterious death in 2012. Over seven years of filming, Wang documents Payá’s evolution from being the daughter of slain Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá to becoming a fervent leader in her own right, forging a path toward a more democratic Cuba.

#### A Cross-continental Connection
Nanfu Wang’s body of work repeatedly focuses on the personal costs of political struggle, drawing comparisons between seemingly disparate stories and locales. So, it makes sense that Wang and Payá’s paths would cross at the intersection of each other’s ongoing battles against post-totalitarian regimes.

Their connection began with Wang’s debut feature film, *Hooligan Sparrow* (2016), in which she followed women’s rights activist Ye Haiyan in China. After viewing the film at an international festival, Rosa María Payá, feeling the political parallels between China and Cuba, sought out Wang. The themes of state repression and grassroots activism bound them together, ushering in a seven-year collaboration that eventually turned into *Night Is Not Eternal*.

#### Payá’s Journey Through Wang’s Lens
Wang’s film traces Payá’s political awakening. After her father—who had long been a dissident voice in Fidel Castro’s Cuba—died under suspicious circumstances in 2012, Payá found herself at the forefront of a movement she had not sought to lead. Her story, as told by Wang, begins with tragedy but aims to cultivate hope, even when circumstances may seem bleak.

Payá’s journey is one of transformation, from an accidental successor to a political leader spearheading protests and organizing rallies. Wang captures Payá’s persistent struggle to keep alive her father’s vision of a free Cuba, juxtaposed with an equally personal account of her own upbringing under China’s communist regime. Throughout, Wang’s camera galvanizes moments of quiet reflection with sequences of broader historical importance, imparting a multi-layered message about courage in the face of increasingly authoritarian governments.

#### The Documentary Form as Resistance
Wang’s hallmark as a director remains the seamless blending of personal narrative with broader political and social commentary. Her dispassionate voice-over, characteristic of much of her work, serves to both personalize and universalize Payá’s story. Moments that delve deeply into political history—whether Cuban or Chinese—are tied together by Wang’s observations, revealing recurring patterns of state control and repression across borders and time.

For instance, one part of the film contrasts Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara’s 1967 visit to China, as captured by state-controlled newsreels, with American broadcasters’ reports of his antagonistic relationship with the U.S., sparking questions about how political figures are interpreted differently across ideological divides. The layered use of archival footage challenges the viewer to think critically about how images and narratives are controlled to serve state interests, a theme Wang has explored in earlier films like *One Child Nation* (2019).

Wang’s work is often noted for a narrative twist around its midpoint, acting as a moment of self-analysis for the filmmaker. In *Night Is Not Eternal*, this moment comes as Wang stumbles upon Payá at a Trump rally, enthusiastically cheering for a politician who many view as a representative of autocratic tendencies. This scene underscores the complexities of Payá’s political beliefs and shifts the responsibility onto the viewer to make sense of the contradictions that shape both individuals and the ideologies they support.

#### The Power of Defiance
Wang’s focus on individual resilience in the face of overwhelming odds is a recurring theme across her filmography. In *Night Is Not Eternal*, Rosa María Payá becomes this symbol of defiance, standing against years of Communist control in Cuba, much as Wang’s previous subjects have resisted oppression in China. The film, in a sense, advocates for the importance of personal defiance within broader systems of autocratic governance.

The film’s title borrows from a famous statement made by Oswaldo Payá: *“La noche no será eterna”* — “The night will not be eternal.” Just as her father believed freedom would eventually bloom in Cuba despite the darkness of dictatorship, Wang aligns the film’s conclusion with a sense of hope that even in the gloomiest times, a brighter day may come.

#### Broader Context: A Global Perspective
While the narrative is rooted in Cuba’s quest for democracy, Wang’s film crafts a global parable of autocracy and resilience. It finds commonalities between Cuba