
Wenhai Huang
2021凶年之畔
Wenhai Huang
Between 2009 and 2015, Wen Hai followed the lives of workers and worker activists in southern China, the world’s factory. His astonishing film gives nameless workers a face, shows their vital sense of justice and resistance to owners who are only interested in profits – and how they escape the role of victim.
We the Workers
我们
Wenhai Huang
The voices in this film are all conscientious citizens doing their utmost to improve the state of their nation. Their ethos is: “Where affairs of state are concerned, we cannot stand idly by and watch.” And yet the reward for their concern is a lifetime spent in political turmoil, years of periodic intimidation and surveillance. This film illustrates the perils of seeking freedom in a time of darkness, in a time when critique requires transformation. It depicts the harsh realities faced by three generations of activists—young, middle-aged and elderly– and allows us to better understand their anxieties, hopes, despairs and above all, their persistence.
We
梦游
Wenhai Huang
This film follows four artists living on the margins of society whose passionate discussions belie their stark and impoverished living conditions. The subjects are performance artist Li Wake, painters Wang Yongping and Ding Defu, and poet Motou Beibei, who is hailed online as a genius despite working as a security guard. Overcome by ennui, and lost in the uncertainties of their everyday lives and their artistic identities, the artists express certain hopelessness.
Dream Walking
喊叫與耳語
Wenhai Huang, Zeng Jinyan
Zeng Jinyan, Ai Xiaoming
Shot over an eight-year period (2007-2015), this documentary film aims to present women’s struggle in the private and public spheres, both in China and Hong Kong. It offers a view into the lives of female factory workers, artists, rights activists, and intellectuals – whom deal with political violence, sexual harassment, online bullying, long-term separation from family, arbitrary treatment by transnational factory management, and/or poverty in their home villages.
Outcry and Whisper