24 CITY

Directed By: Jia Zhange

Review By: Kim Jindra

Call me hard hearted but it was difficult for me to get emotional about the destruction of 420, a Chinese munitions factory to make way for a housing development in 24 CITY.

The stories of the generations who lived and worked in the factory community in Chengdu are like the ones we hear from Americans when our factories shut down.
Director Jia Zhange makes a decision to stage some interviews with professional actresses recounting the loss of a child, the loneliness of being considered too beautiful and the difficulties of dealing with older parents.

I am actually surprised Zhange felt the need to use professional story tellers. I don't know if he was trying to give us a picture of a changing China or trying to evoke world wide empathy for the Chinese worker.   I think I would have been moved more if the best interviewees had actually worked in the factory.  Still the photography was admirable and the sadness palpable.  It made me feel a bit of regret for the people who knew the factory as their home.