SYNOPSIS
A subjective anatomy of contemporary China in the post Marxist era, this film is a dark, poetic, existentialist portrait of people from various classes and backgrounds living in modern China. Twelve chapters explore different facets of China’s current social and political landscape. Stories emerge—stories of yearning, loss and unfulfilled dreams: an old peasant who has lost his land; a weapon factory worker who wishes Mao was still alive to rule the country; a 14 year old migrant who has just arrived in the city and now washes cars; a successful hotel owner who praises the government’s liberal economic policies; art school kids who dream of becoming famous Western artists...