Once Upon a Time Proletarian

  • 75'
  • United Kingdom
  • 2009
Portrait of post-Maoist China in twelve commentaries by inhabitants of the country. Each chapter starts with black-and-white shots of a small group of children reading anecdotes out loud one by one from a magazine. Together with the grander stories by, for instance, a peasant complaining about the current system, fish merchants, millionaires talking about Russian prostitutes and exchange rates, a park manager and hotel staff complaining about their hopeless lives, these texts sketch a varied picture of a China that is still developing very rapidly but in which there is not much room for individual needs. Anyone who isn't merciless and selfish is left behind and has little else to do than complain and wallow in self-pity. The documentary is augmented with propaganda songs praising the former leaders Feng Lei and Mao, from a time when everything was better, or at least clearer - even according to some of the protagonists. Guo Xiaolu is a Chinese writer and film maker. She made Once Upon a Time Proletarian in the same year as the feature She, A Chinese.


  • 75'
  • United Kingdom
  • 2009
Director
Xiaolu Guo
Countries of production
United Kingdom, Germany
Year
2009
Festival Edition
IFFR 2010
Length
75'
Medium
Betacam Digi PAL
Language
Mandarin
Producer
Pamela Casey
Production Company
Chapter Two Films
Sales
Memento Films International
Screenplay
Xiaolu Guo
Cinematography
Xiaolu Guo
Editor
Philippe Ciompi, Arthur De Lipowski
Sound Design
Philippe Ciompi
Music
Matt Scott, Philippe Ciompi
Website
http://international.memento-films.com/artscope/once-upon-a-time-proletarian#
Director
Xiaolu Guo
Countries of production
United Kingdom, Germany
Year
2009
Festival Edition
IFFR 2010
Length
75'
Medium
Betacam Digi PAL
Language
Mandarin
Producer
Pamela Casey
Production Company
Chapter Two Films
Sales
Memento Films International
Screenplay
Xiaolu Guo
Cinematography
Xiaolu Guo
Editor
Philippe Ciompi, Arthur De Lipowski
Sound Design
Philippe Ciompi
Music
Matt Scott, Philippe Ciompi
Website
http://international.memento-films.com/artscope/once-upon-a-time-proletarian#