赵亮自1996年开始拍摄这部纪录片，因对上访人的状态感兴趣而拍摄，其后坚持了12年，直到北京奥运会后才完成拍摄。 导演阐述 . . . . . . 在北京南站的周围，生活着被称为中国第五十七个民族的上访人，他们年复一年，日复一日的等待着，等待着有朝一日能有一个清官出现，替他们鸣冤昭雪。春天来了冬天又去了， 数不尽的日日夜夜分分秒秒，道不尽的人世苍凉，命运捉弄，只能化作一丝虔香慰藉那短命的冤魂。

他们依然相信黎明的曙光会照进他们阴暗的桥洞，低矮的窝棚。他们的脚步依然执着…

The dysfunctional Chinese justice system allows citizens with grievances against their local governments to petition the court to clear or correct their record. Yet in order to do so, the petitioners must travel to Beijing to file paperwork and wait an indefinite period to plead their case. Following the saga of a group of petitioners over the years of 1996 and 2008, Petition unfolds like a novel by Zola or Dickens. This was filmed surreptitiously from the point of view of the petitioners, and not the justice officials, the police, or those heavies sent by the municipalities.