* china in the '90s
#experimental
This project was created during my exchange semester at Columbia University as the final piece for the Beginning Video course. It was also my first attempt at making an experimental film. Born in 1997, I’ve always been curious about the world I arrived into, yet I have few direct memories of it. By collecting archival material and found footage, I sought to reconstruct a visual impression of that formative period.
In the 1990s, China was undergoing a pivotal phase of reform and opening-up, with rural economies expanding rapidly. At the same time, under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework, Hong Kong was experiencing a cultural and economic boom. This short film contrasts everyday life in mainland China and Hong Kong during this shared historical moment, using visual language to explore the early tensions and overlaps between two cultural landscapes, each with its own distinctive rhythm and identity.
Coming soon.
credits
creator - Yixin Shen
director - Yixin Shen
editor - Yixin Shen
sound design - Yixin Shen
found footages
bits - Gary Hill Studio
1997 - Byron Chan
fragments of china - Thomas Blanchard
hong kong transport footage from the 1990s
published date
05.2019