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Manufacturing China’s Future Manufacturing China’s Future
(about 9 hours later)
It is human nature to seek out information that confirms beliefs and biases we already have; that approach can be much easier than having to seek deeper, more complicated truths. We find this tendency to be particularly common in our country, China, where appearances often tell a very different story from the reality they conceal. So when we had a chance to explore the story of a controversial mayor in the ancient city of Datong, we knew we had a chance to go far beyond traditional reporting on China, and challenge ourselves to see more. It is human nature to seek out information that confirms beliefs and biases we already have; that approach can be much easier than having to seek deeper, more complicated truths. We find this tendency to be particularly common when it comes to our country, China, where appearances often tell a very different story from the reality they conceal. So when we had a chance to explore the story of a controversial mayor in the ancient city of Datong, we knew we had a chance to go far beyond traditional reporting on China, and challenge ourselves to see more.
We are pleased to have made a rare film that captures a Chinese mayor as authentically and intimately as possible. In this Op-Doc, he is not a poker-faced bureaucrat or a talking head. Instead we see him as a real man, with dreams, emotions, dilemmas and ego. Here he exposes both his triumphs and failures, and notably has allowed us to capture them on film — and we see how his leadership leads to striking success and failure in terms that are uniquely Chinese. And we see how his decisions affect both his relationship with his government and with his family. We followed him to the front line of endless pleas and appeals on the streets, which reveal a China that defied years of what we’d been taught to believe about our nation, and challenged our opinions about many issues. This is a country with great dynamics, complexity and classes of people, with various wants and needs. The capacity for different points of view is so large that it is impossible to generalize. We are pleased to have made a rare film that captures a Chinese mayor as authentically and intimately as possible. In this Op-Doc, he is not a poker-faced bureaucrat or a talking head. Instead we see him as a real man, with dreams, emotions, dilemmas and ego. Here he exposes both his triumphs and failures, and notably has allowed us to capture them on film — and we see how his leadership leads to striking success and failure in terms that are uniquely Chinese. And we see how his decisions affect both his relationship with his government and with his family. We followed him to the front line of endless pleas and appeals on the streets, which reveal a China that defied years of what we’d thought about our nation, and challenged our opinions about many issues. This is a country with great dynamics, complexity and classes of people, with various wants and needs. The capacity for different points of view is so large that it is impossible to generalize.
Now it is time for us, as citizens, to understand China in different perspectives, between preservation and progress, individuality and collectivism, government and citizenry, present and future. The world should take note. With this film, we are sharing everything we’ve learned about our society and its government with you — and we hope it makes you think, and talk. Now it is time for us, as citizens, to understand China in different perspectives, between preservation and progress, individuality and collectivism, government and people, present and future. The world should take note. With this film, we are sharing everything we’ve learned about our society and its government with you — and we hope it makes you think, and talk.