Growth without justice - a film about China

At the New York Film Festival I watched a new film by the Chinese director Jia Zhangke, called A Touch of Sin. It was a strikingly honest and up to date film about corruption, inequality, and what rapid economic transformation can do to the social fabric in China. There are four interconnected stories. The first one is a bit bloody - but bear with it if you are violence averse like me.  

If you get the chance to see any of Jia Zhangke's films, take it.  The Financial Times (September 20, 2013)  calls him one of the top 25 Chinese movers and shakers to watch. 

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Manufactured landscapes

This week I watched Manufactured Landscapes, a beautiful and thoughtful documentary film about the meaning of progress. It uses the economic boom in China over the past few decades as a metaphor for the past few hundred years of economic progress through industrialization (enjoyed mostly by Europe and the Americas, of course).   

The film had gorgeous images of essentially ugly things with a clever sound track, and mostly lets you draw your own conclusions. Much more powerful than if it had been didactic. The film is anchored in the work of photographer/artist Edward Burtynsky. The editing is done by Roland Schlimme, who is also a musician and it shows. The main character is mother earth.  Highly recommended. 

Here is nice Ted talk Burtynysky did before he finished the film. He has a new film on the way called Watermark, with the same same filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier.

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