San Yuan Li
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| San Yuan Li | |
|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 三元里 |
| Simplified Chinese | 三元里 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | sān yuán lǐ |
| Directed by | Ou Ning, Cao Fei |
| Distributed by | dGenerate Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 45 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
San Yuan Li (Chinese: 三元里; pinyin: sān yuán lǐ) is a 2003 experimental independent Chinese documentary[1] directed and produced by artists Ou Ning and Cao Fei. Focusing on the modern paradox of China's rapid economic growth and social marginalization, the film was shot in Sanyuanli, a rural village nestled in the industrial skyline of Guangzhou. The film examines the effects of development on traditional agrarian lifestyles.[2] San Yuan Li was commissioned for and exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2003.[3]
Armed with video cameras, twelve artists present a highly stylized portrait of San Yuan Li, a traditional village besieged by China's urban sprawl. China's rapid modernization literally traps the village of San Yuan Li within the surrounding skyscrapers of Guangzhou, a city of 12 million people. The villagers move to a different rhythm, thriving on subsistence farming and traditional crafts. They resourcefully reinvent their traditional lifestyle by tending rice paddies on empty city lots and raising chickens on makeshift rooftop coops.