Genre: Documentary (94 min)

World Premiere: CPH:DOX Main Competition

Synopsis: In one of the poorest nations on earth, the Central African Republic, native sand diver Thomas Boa and construction manager Jianmin Luan, a Chinese national, accept that struggle and risk are the price of tomorrow’s rest and reward: both are prepared to “Eat Bitter.” The eye-opening documentary raises the age-old question of what we are prepared to sacrifice for a better tomorrow, without a promise that it will ever arrive.

Festival Selections: 50+ world festivals: Vision du Reel, Hot Docs, Doc Edge, DOC NYC, Encounters, Dok Leipzig, DMZ, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Asian American International Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival, etc.

Pitch Forums: Sunny Side of the Doc. IDFA

Support From: Sundance Documentary Institute, The Ford Foundation, IDFA Bertha Fund, Hot Docs, Chicken & Egg, Doc Africa, Alter-Cine, New York State Council on the Arts

Awards: Emerging Director Award at 47th Asian American International Film Festival, The Best Cinematography Award at The Social Impact Media Awards; The Best Documentary Feature at the Visioni dal Mondo International Documentary Festival; “Special Mention” at The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival

Distribution: BBC, American Airlines

Streaming on BBC (52-min version)