Night Is Not Eternal

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Night Is Not Eternal
Official poster
Directed byNanfu Wang
Written by
  • Nanfu Wang
  • Michael Shade
Produced by
  • Nanfu Wang
  • Lori Cheatle
CinematographyJavier Labrador Deulofeu
Edited byMichael Shade
Music by
  • Chad Cannon
  • San Miguel Perez
Production
companies
Distributed byHBO
Release dates
  • October 20, 2024 (2024-10-20) (Montclair)
  • November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Night Is Not Eternal is a 2024 documentary film directed and produced by Nanfu Wang. It follows Cuban activist Rosa María Payá Acevedo over the course of several years.

It had its world premiere at the Montclair Film Festival on October 20, 2024, and a limited release on November 15, 2024, prior to a broadcast on HBO on November 19, 2024. The documentary won a 2024 Peabody Award.[1]

Premise

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The film follows Cuban activist Rosa María Payá Acevedo over seven years and the growth of her political career and advocacy for democratic reform in Cuba. It compares Payá's activism with Wang's own experiences growing up in China under an authoritarian government.[2][3] The film also documents Payá's partial support for U.S. presidential nominee and then president Donald Trump, and Wang's discomfort with it.[4]

Production and release

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Nanfu Wang met Rosa María Payá Acevedo at a film festival, with Wang wanting to make a film revolving around those living under authoritarianism wanting to make change.[5]

It had its world premiere at the Montclair Film Festival on October 20, 2024,[6][7] and was scheduled to be released in a limited release on November 15, 2024,[8] prior to a broadcast on HBO on November 19, 2024.[9]

The documentary is named after a book by Payá's father Oswaldo Payá, also an activist.[2]

Reception

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Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 87 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Mayra E. Gates of RogerEbert.com gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing: "The result is a striking look at the sacrifices—and concessions—people make in the fight for freedom and a chilling portrait of how the propaganda of those with power can make this very fight seem impossible to win."[11] Christian Zilko of IndieWire gave the film a B, writing: "Wang leaves audiences with the sense that, for good or for ill, the individuality of humans will never be fully stamped out."[12] Carlos Aguilar, writing for Variety, overall praised the documentary while wanting more "hard-hitting, confrontational exchanges" about Payá's support for Donald Trump.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Night Is Not Eternal". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Aguilar, Carlos (November 19, 2024). "'Night Is Not Eternal' Review: Nanfu Wang Keenly Observes the Fight for Freedom in Cuba at a Crucial Moment". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  3. ^ Smith, David (November 20, 2024). "'You have to be prepared for the worst': making a film on the fight for democracy in Cuba". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  4. ^ Zilko, Christian (November 15, 2024). "'Night Is Not Eternal' Review: A Trump-Sympathetic Cuban Activist Fights for Democracy in a Doc About Our Differing Definitions of Freedom". IndieWire. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  5. ^ Yuan, Li (November 11, 2024). "How Trump Divides Chinese Who Aspire to Democracy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "Night is Not Eternal". Montclair Film Festival. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Morfoot, Addie (September 27, 2024). "Montclair Film Festival, Backed by Stephen Colbert, Opens With Edward Berger's 'Conclave' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "Night is Not Eternal". Laemmle Theaters. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Tapp, Tom; Gomez, Dessi (November 4, 2024). "What's New On Max For November 2024: Day-By-Day Listings For TV Shows & Movies". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "Night Is Not Eternal". Metacritic. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  11. ^ E. Gates, Mayra (November 18, 2024). "Night Is Not Eternal". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Zilko, Christian (November 15, 2024). "'Night Is Not Eternal' Review: A Trump-Sympathetic Cuban Activist Fights for Democracy in a Doc About Our Differing Definitions of Freedom". IndieWire. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
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