writing a script about Beijing, China

[villageidiot]

Howdy, y'all. I'm currently writing a script set in and is about Beijing, China. Specifically, it's about the lives of migrant young people who're trying to make it in this heartless city. Everyday, literally thousands of migrants from the Chinese countryside come to Beijing to try and make their fortune in the center of the fastest growing economy in the world. But many of them are also left behind by society's indifference.

I'm going to be shooting it with some filmmaker friends here in Beijing; so, it'll definitely be a shoestring, ultra-low budget independent movie that'll hopefully be seen at the film festivals.

I've written some scenarios and outlines of scenes that reflects what I've observed since living here as an expat for the last year and half.

My question is, what do you think would interest an international audience in a movie about Beijing? There has been much interest lately about China, and hopefully for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing this indie film can go somewhere.

Thanks in advance.

[onebir]

Beijing Bicycle (十七岁的单车, director wang xiaoshuai) addressed the themes you mention & got international distribution. But it wasn't the director's first release...

[roddy]

If you want a film specifically looking at 外地人 in Beijing, I think this might also be worth a look.

But as for an international audience, they won't know much about China and will believe what you tell them - just make sure they get a nice story. Perhaps your migrant workers could come to Beijing, find a decent job easily, get paid on time by a friendly boss and then move home to use their savings to open their own business and get married. I'd like to see a film about that.

[villageidiot]

Beijing Bicycle (十七岁的单车, director wang xiaoshuai) addressed the themes you mention & got international distribution. But it wasn't the director's first release...

i saw it a few weeks back for research and ideas. although there are similar elements in my script to his movie, that movie wasn't exactly what i'm trying to emulate. i thought it had some interesting elements, but overall was really dull and dragged on for too long.

i don't know what it is with these "fifth" and "sixth" generation filmmakers and their slow pacing and long pauses, but they get boring really fast...

[villageidiot]

If you want a film specifically looking at 外地人 in Beijing, I think this might also be worth a look.

yeah, i'm also going through some Jia Zhang Ke right now and so far haven't managed to sit thru any of his movies in one sitting. i just find the pacing extremely boring and i want to do something else while it plods along.

But as for an international audience, they won't know much about China and will believe what you tell them - just make sure they get a nice story. Perhaps your migrant workers could come to Beijing, find a decent job easily, get paid on time by a friendly boss and then move home to use their savings to open their own business and get married. I'd like to see a film about that.

yep, maybe in a fantasy sequence or something not realistic.

i'm trying to write and will shoot it with friends in chinese, so it'll primarily be for a chinese audience and they'll know everything that's realistic or not. i'm just trying to figure out a way to appeal to foreign audiences as well.

thanks though.

[onebir]

What about setting it abroad & making it about illegal immigrants? Not entirely convenient, if you're in Beijing, but the Chinese would get to boo the nasty waiguoren, and appreciate the one or two nice waiguoren. At the same time, the waiguoren could reflect on their society's treatment of illegal immigrants (ie self-flagellate a bit).

[Lu]

Perhaps your migrant workers could come to Beijing, find a decent job easily, get paid on time by a friendly boss and then move home to use their savings to open their own business and get married. I'd like to see a film about that.

God, I'd love to see this movie. Not kidding. Realism is a great thing, but we also need feel-good movies.