Wheat Harvest (2008) A documentary that sketches the double life of the young Niu Hongmiao, who cares for her sick father in the countryside and works in Beijing as a prostitute. A picture gradually emerges of the Chinese sex industry.
Barefoot Doctor (2016) During the Cultural Revolution, Sun Lizhe, a young intellectual with no medical background, found himself unexpectedly assuming the role of a barefoot doctor due to the whims of fate. From being heralded as a model-educated youth on the front page of the People's Daily to being confined in a dark cell […]
Barefoot Doctor (2016) During the Cultural Revolution, Sun Lizhe, a young intellectual with no medical background, found himself unexpectedly assuming the role of a barefoot doctor due to the whims of fate. From being heralded as a model-educated youth on the front page of the People’s Daily to being confined in a dark cell […]
Fortune Teller (2009) stands out as one of the most exceptional works among early Chinese independent documentaries. Focused on a fortune teller, the film employs a narrative structure akin to classical Chinese novels, with each chapter highlighting different aspects. It provides a comprehensive portrayal of the lives of marginalized individuals in China, including prostitutes, gamblers, beggars, […]
Cut Out The Eyes (2014) In the Hetao region of Inner Mongolia, a popular form of folk opera known as "Duet Stage" flourishes. Er Housheng, a prominent figure in this genre, frequently appears at various funerals and celebrations. Despite losing his eyesight at a young age, it was precisely this adversity that nurtured his artistic […]
Shattered (2011) In a small town situated on the northeastern border of China, once a part of Manchukuo and prematurely burdened with economic decline, lived the Tang family. Each member possessed a natural gift for storytelling, exuding a mesmerizing linguistic charm whenever they faced the camera. Old Tang, the patriarch, reminisced about pivotal events in […]
Cut Out The Eyes (2014) In the Hetao region of Inner Mongolia, a popular form of folk opera known as "Duet Stage" flourishes. Er Housheng, a prominent figure in this genre, frequently appears at various funerals and celebrations. Despite losing his eyesight at a young age, it was precisely this adversity that nurtured his artistic […]
Shattered (2011) In a small town situated on the northeastern border of China, once a part of Manchukuo and prematurely burdened with economic decline, lived the Tang family. Each member possessed a natural gift for storytelling, exuding a mesmerizing linguistic charm whenever they faced the camera. Old Tang, the patriarch, reminisced about pivotal events in his […]
A remarkable debut that sadly serves as its creator's epitaph, An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) offers an uncompromisingly grim yet poignant portrait of life in modern China. Shortly after completing this work, The director Hu Bo, at the age of 29, took his own life. “He told me the other day. There is an elephant […]
These two films, shot five years apart, document the journey of several Chinese artists from idealistic drifters in Beijing to becoming diasporic individuals struggling with harsh realities abroad. The first film, Bumming in Beijing: The Last Dreamers, is considered China's first independent documentaryand a representative work of The New Documentary Movement, holding significant historical value. […]
Shot from the end of 2009 to early 2010, The Cold Winter captures the moment when Beijing’s famous 798 Art Zone suffered violent demolitions and evictions. In response to land expropriation by developers, the artists formed the ‘Warm Winter Plan’ movement to defend their rights through performance art and protests. Confronted with threats and brutal […]
This experimental moving image collection, presented by Ambiguity Film and programmed by Li Xinxin, is part of the exhibition "Create Dangerously: Faces of Contemporary Chinese Artists." It aims to create a historical snapshot of Chinese experimental moving image history through a diachronic approach. The works of five representative artists span 20 years, covering conceptual art, […]