This Is Life, a documentary film created through the Tsingying Film studio and distributed through the film distribution platform Elemeet, will hit screens in the country on January 13.
The film features more than 800 short videos captured through 509 other people from all walks of life, including workers and farmers. The videos were chosen by the production team over the course of a year from a total of more than 50,000 video clips.
By gathering the short video footage, the film engages ordinary people in its creation and presents their authentic life experience, allowing those who are often inadequately represented in mainstream cinemas to take center stage.
According to the film’s director Sun Hong, by gathering, selecting and compiling video clips from a vast database, the film presents how people record their own lives, which possesses a power of authenticity even greater than traditional documentaries.
In the film, the audience will see the structure’s staff running in their free time, the fishermen talking to their cormorants and tasting their fish delicacy, or the boatmen celebrating a rare day when they can use tap water.
“It is our creative endeavor, as documentary filmmakers, to present an authentic facet of China, highlighting how each individual establishes themselves in a rapidly developing society,” says Sun.
From January 6, the film will begin its theatrical tour in several major cities in China. A series of special screenings are also organized, in addition to screenings that invite those selected, screenings for young people and parents, as well as screenings for city dwellers. .
A series of cultural merchandise are also due to be released, including lenticular tickets, woven bags, hoodies, as well as Chinese couplets and red envelopes to ring in the Chinese New Year.
“The first time I saw This Is Life, I was immediately drawn to its contemporaneity. This film carries significant experimental value in a contemporary context, representing new modes of expression and ways of life,” says renowned film director Jia Zhangke.