Disorder

“One of the most mesmerizing films I’ve seen in ages.” —Hua Hsu, The Atlantic

Huang Weikai’s one-of-a-kind news documentary captures the anarchy, violence, and seething anxiety animating China’s major cities today as urbanization advances at a breakneck pace. One man dances in the middle of traffic while another tries to jump from a bridge before dozens of onlookers. Pigs run wild on a highway while dignitaries swim in a polluted river. Such scenes, which can’t be shown on China’s heavily controlled television networks, reflect an emerging underground media that can truly capture the ground-level upheaval of Chinese society. “Several features have caught the chaos of rapidly industrialized China, but none is as raw or terrifying as this.” —Glenn Sumi, Now Toronto. (dir.: Huang Weikai, China, 58 min., B&W, video, Mandarin with English subtitles)