By the Ruins (2022)
By the Ruins a documentary about the first freelance artists in Beijing. They gathered in a village near the Yuan Ming Yuan ruins. This documentary briefly tells the story of them, about their life, their works and their choices.
Background
In the 80s, some art students who graduated from Beijing's Art Academies voluntarily gave up their assigned jobs and lived sporadically and temporarily in the area around Yuanmingyuan, becoming the first freelance artists in Beijing. In 1950's China, artists had an official profession and were included in a system where they were supported by the government. Artists received a salary, were reimbursed for creative and medical expenses, etc., and waited for the allocation of a residence until they retired. Beginning in the 1980s, a number of artists left their official positions to create more freely. All over the country, there was a group of young artists who sold paintings for a living and wandered freely, in order to pursue their artistic ideals and escape from the shackles of the system. This group of people chose to live in the Village near the yuanmingyuan ruins, thus forming the "Yuanmingyuan Artists' Village", where three to four hundred artists gathered at its peak.
Background
In the 80s, some art students who graduated from Beijing's Art Academies voluntarily gave up their assigned jobs and lived sporadically and temporarily in the area around Yuanmingyuan, becoming the first freelance artists in Beijing. In 1950's China, artists had an official profession and were included in a system where they were supported by the government. Artists received a salary, were reimbursed for creative and medical expenses, etc., and waited for the allocation of a residence until they retired. Beginning in the 1980s, a number of artists left their official positions to create more freely. All over the country, there was a group of young artists who sold paintings for a living and wandered freely, in order to pursue their artistic ideals and escape from the shackles of the system. This group of people chose to live in the Village near the yuanmingyuan ruins, thus forming the "Yuanmingyuan Artists' Village", where three to four hundred artists gathered at its peak.
All That Is Solid Melts Into Air(2022)
This is a hybrid fiction documentary about Chinese absurd COVID policy and lockdowns. Shanghai, one of the biggest cities in China, people are living in uncertainty, suffering from starvation due to the insufficient supplies. The COVID policy is even scarier than the virus itself. All of the scenes seem to come from a drama movie, but they are actually happening in Shanghai right now.
Background
At the beginning of 2022, China started the very strict policy of COVID lockdown due to the explosion of Omicron. The authority called it Zero Covid Policy. China's zero-COVID policy is an attempt to prevent any community spread of the coronavirus. To achieve this goal the country has enacted some draconian measures, implementing a strategy of using strict, targeted lockdowns and mass testing. Entire neighborhoods have been sealed off across the country.
Though the purpose of the policy was to protect as much as people, it was not as harmless as it seemed. During the strict lockdown, people were stuck in their home, some people did not have enough food, some starved to death, while some seniors that needed to go to hospital for their regular checks were forced to be locked in the room. Students who are locked in the dorm never know when they can go home, adults do not know when they can get back to work, while the lockdown stops their working but the rent and daily expenses are non-stopping.
Silent Night(2021)
Silent Night is a stop-motion animation about the Christmas truce in WWI. This animation uses a chess set and pieces to retell a warm and touching story in wartime.
J of Theseus(2021)
The engineer created the bioengineered humanoids J. J has human organs that made up with all human tissues, but J still feel like he is not a human for he could not really have human feelings and emotions. Therefore, he started an experiment called "The Theseus Project" to find out the difference between him and a real human, by replacing his oragn with human's one by one. Now, he is about finish his experiment only ofr a perfect heart......