24 City July 3 – 9
24 City
July 3 – 9
China, 2008, 112 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Hong Kong, Japan
Genre/Subjects: Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Social Issues
Language: Mandarin English Sub-Titles
Exclusive Engagement plays July 3 - 9 - Denver Film Society / Starz FilmCenter
35mm presentation
This film attempts to understand the complexity of the social changes sweeping across China by observing the impact a half-century of Socialism has had on the Chinese people. It does so by recounting the fall of former state-owned Factory 420.
The factory’s name was an internal military security code for the Chengdu Engine Group, which was founded in 1958 to produce aviation engines, and saw years of prosperous activity. Now abandoned, the factory sold for millions to real-estate developers, where it will be transformed into an emblem of the current market economy: a complex of luxury apartment blocks called 24 City.
Jia Zhang-ke masterfully constructs the film around eight dramatic interviews, punctuated by snippets of pop songs and poetry, along with beautifully-shot footage of the demolition. He challenges the thin line between fact and fiction by weaving three fictional monologues delivered by professional actors. Each interview represents three generations with ties to the factory: former factory workers, contemporary workers, and their children. The film is ultimately a progression from what has been to what will be.
Group discounts!! If 10 or more tickets are bought on a single transaction, it’s only $7.50 each (compared to $9.50).
For questions or info, e-mail Tiffany at tiffany@denverfilm.org.