Still: Eyes of the Machine - Daya Cahen

In her debut feature documentary Eyes of the Machine, Daya Cahen presents a powerful exploration of China's surveillance state and its role in the cultural and political repression of the Uyghur Muslim minority in East Turkestan (Xinjiang). 

At its heart lies the deeply personal testimony of Kalbinur Sidik, a refugee forced to work inside China’s internment camps—now living in exile in the Netherlands. Kalbinur’s story unfolds alongside and in direct contrast to official Chinese state propaganda—creating a haunting dual narrative, through personal photos, intercepted messages, open-source data, state media clips, and voices from the Uyghur diaspora.

As we discover in the documentary, Kalbinur has completely lost touch with her Uyghur husband, who was not allowed to leave China, and has subsequently disappeared. “She has no clue where he is, or possibility of contacting him,” says Cahen. 

Cahen discovered that Kalbinur was in the Netherlands, and started interviewing her.

“I was making a short film but then it became longer and longer, because there is so much involved in this story.”

Cahen was determined to be “accurate and respectful.” She didn’t speak only to Kalbinur, but also made contact with the Uyghur community in The Netherlands. This helped her access some of the extraordinary film material she has unearthed that depicts Chinese surveillance society at its worst.

“I actually worked on the film for three years. Part of that was just looking for footage and speaking to people…a lot is through the community. People collect films. They send them to each other. They have them on their phones. Within the Uyghur diaspora from Turkey to America, short clips are circulating.” 

Much of the footage is anonymous. Cahen’s research was lengthy and painstaking but she discovered some extraordinary and very disturbing material. Some of it came from the Chinese government itself, which pumps out propaganda defending its forced detention of a million or more Uyghurs, and sometimes invites outsiders to view the centres where they are incarcerated. 

East Turkestan has been part of China since 1949 but the Uyghur people from the region have continued fighting for their autonomy. Chinese authorities have a long-standing fear of separatist movements and have tried to paint the Uyghurs as terrorists. The authorities are keen to hold on to the natural resources in the region, which connects China to the west. The region is also now being used as a testing ground for China’s surveillance systems, which are mind-boggling in their scope and intrusiveness into every aspect of private and public life.

Kalbinur’s daughter was studying in the Netherlands, a fact that Kalbinur used to her advantage in order to flee China. As she testifies in the documentary, she is still followed and harassed - but she knows that she needs to keep on protesting if the injustices against the Uyghur community are ever going to end. 

“In a way, she is sacrificing herself for this cause. She is the most courageous person I’ve ever met,” says Cahen.

The Dutch artist and filmmaker further explains why she is so drawn in her work to stories about marginalised and oppressed people living in authoritarian societies.

“Both my parents were Jewish children during the Second World War, with everything that entails. I grew up with the idea that the world can change you in a day, and you never know at which end of the line you’ll end up.”

Does the director worry her film will also provoke the wrath of the Chinese authorities? “I can only say, I don’t know - and it feels a bit strange to talk about me because the whole film is full of people who are so courageous…the honest answer is it might. But I just feel you cannot look away.”

Cahen is not only the director of the film but its producer, editor and cinematographer. As an artist, she likes to work in a freewheeling and independent way. She is now making connections with sales agents and distributors. 

“This is my first feature-length film and so I am getting into it right now, to get the largest audience I can find,” she says. She plans to organise screenings and talks with the Uyghur community. 

The next step will be to spin off an installation piece based around the material in the film.

Eyes of the Machine is part of IDFA Frontlight. Find out more about the Dutch selections at IDFA here.