Documentary 2002

Director: Zheng Da Sheng
Running Time: 92'

The city of Jingdezhen, located in Jiangxi province, is known as China's porcelain capital. However, behind the walls of its small cultural center, an intriguing and creative product is being put together. This is where director Zhou Yuanqiang produces, directs and edits his TV series with help of the local population. In 1984, he bought a small DV camera with borrowed money, and has since supplied local television with more than 18 TV series, mostly Red Army stories and peasant comedies. The budget is low and the actors are all amateurs, but the series enjoy an ever-growing success, and national Television has shown interest in using Zhou's successful filming method to promote family planning.

Zheng Dasheng's playful portrayal of Zhou progresses at its own pace, evoking anecdotes that do not always seem immediately relevant in this collage of small chapters. But what starts out as a rather diffuse account of Zhou's everyday film activities gradually grows into impressive saga about his constant struggle to create new work. Zhou has to find new financial resources and overcome technical problems. He constantly challenges his crew and cast with increasingly demanding sequences. Zhou, who was sent to the province during the Cultural Revolution to spread education and knowledge, never questions his task. With half his family involved in the Cultural Center, the series have become his life. DV CHINA is a sympathetic homage to this introverted yet outspoken man, whose unique creativity is illustrated by numerous film excerpts.

The official selection of TRAVERSES section, Visions du Réel, The 9^th International Documentary Film Festival of Nyon, Switzerland (2003)

Festival of Nations, Ebensee 2004