With groundbreaking honesty, performance artist Li Ning turns his life into art in this epic work of experimental documentary.
For five grueling years, Li Ning documents his struggle to achieve success as an avant-garde artist while contending with the pressures of modern life in China. He is caught between two families: his wife, son and mother, whom he can barely support; and his enthusiastic but disorganized guerilla dance troupe. Li’s chaotic life becomes inseparable from the act of taping it, as if his experiences can only make sense on screen. Tape shatters documentary conventions, utilizing a variety of approaches, including guerilla documentary, experimental street video, even CGI. Much like Jia Zhangke’s Platform, Tape captures a decade’s worth of artistic aspirations and failures, while breaking new ground in individual expression in China.
Select Film Festivals:
- Official Selection, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Bright Futures
- Official Selection, Reel China Film Festival at New York University
Availability:
Tape is currently screening at film festivals and exhibitions around the world. Interested programmers can email us at sales (at) dgeneratefilms.com or contact us here.
Tape is also available for press reviews. Inquiries can be emailed to press (at) dgeneratefilms.com or through our online contact form.