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The Cold Winter

Zheng Kuo

Release year: 2011

Run time: 103 mins

Film type: Documentary

Synopsis

From the end of 2009 to early 2010, some of the art districts near the 798 Art Zone in Beijing suffered violent evictions. The artists’ resistance, struggle, hesitation, and infighting are placed centre stage in this extremely cold winter.

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Director biography

Zheng Kuo, independent producer and director, graduated from the Li Xianting Film School in 2009. He planned the independent film section of the 2008 Beijing 798 Art Festival at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art. He was also the curator of the independent film section of the 2009 Beijing 798 Biennial. In 2010, he directed his first independent feature documentary, 798 Station, and a short fiction film, Sound of Silence. His renowned feature documentary, Cold Winter, documents the Beijing artists rallies of 2011. Burned Wings is his debut fiction feature film.

Director's statement

In 2009 in the process of shooting 798 Station, I chanced upon the “Warm Winter Plan”. Forced relocation in China is nothing new, but artists’ collectives encountering such violence are few and far between. I hope this film is as objective and fair as possible, and I also hope that the film is a mirror, in which each can see their own.