Shanghai Tales

Documentary giving an intimate view of the pressurised life of hard-working Liu Wei as he attempts to balance work and life commitments and satisfy his parents and his demanding girlfriend. Guo Jing and Ke Dingding's film hints at the personal sacrifices and human aspect of this way of living, while never forcing the viewer into any single interpretive position. As we travel through the film the skill of the directors allows us the impression of being there, and the questions that the contributors ask themselves on such subjects as the meaning of life suddenly recapture their huge significance.

On the first day of spring term, directors Guo Jing and Ke Dingding began to film the lives of three 11-year-olds and their class in Shanghai Experimental Primary School. Focusing on the challenges of growing up, the film captures the flirting, fighting, showing off and anguish of children on the cusp of adolescence, and gives an insight into the formation of a new generation of Chinese children.