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Xiwan Company

Zhang Huancai

Release year: 2019

Run time: 75 mins

Film type: Documentary

Synopsis

This is a documentary I made over the course of six years while working as a migrant worker. It's a compilation of footage captured in the labor market and construction sites. Due to the limited equipment I had—a second-hand camcorder worth only 300 yuan—and the harsh shooting conditions, such as shaky footage and on-site noise, the film may not meet cinematic standards, but it certainly portrays reality. I dare say that this is the only film in the world where migrant workers themselves have documented their own labor experiences.

 

Director biography

Zhang Huancai, male, farmer, born in 1960, enthusiast of rural records. Since 2005, I have made seven series of feature films of my village from 2006 to 2020, including a History of Village Drama, two feature films on village elections, and a 10-minute short film called An Annulled Election.