One of the surprise discoveries of the Sundance Film Festival when it premiered, Hooligan Sparrow plays like a real life heist movie, except the criminal on the run is not a criminal at all, but a feminist activist targeted by the Chinese government for speaking out against corruption, trafficking, and censorship. Nanfu Wang’s suspenseful docu-thriller pulls back the curtain on China’s hidden violations of human rights and basic freedoms, while celebrating the bravery and brilliance of the country’s activists.