For Ma Shen-yi and his family,
life is nothing but agony. Among the five members of the
Ma family, four of them have been infected by HIV and
are on the verge of death. This documentary follows the
numbered days of the ill-fated family which is torn apart
by the fatal disease. Filled with sorrow and sympathy,
TO LIVE IS BETTER THAN TO DIE is a requiem for the deceased
members of the family.
• British Documentary
Award 2004 • Nominee of Joris Ivens Award. Int’l
Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2004 • World
Cinema: Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2003
