Up the Yangtze

[Outofin]

This is a documentary made by a Chinese Canadian. Overall it's good. I particularly like its music. Theme music is really good, and its mood serves the story very well. I also heard Chinese folk song 船歌 in the middle. Not the 船歌 written by 罗大佑 (which is equally good by the way), but the folk song famously sung by 费玉清.

What I don't like the film is that,

First, it's more like a reality show than a documentary. I don't trust reality shows. They manipulate material. Yes the story is real, but somehow I feel they re-arranged time sequence to dramatize the story.

Second, sometimes the camera and the intent behind it can be very annoying. For example, it's fixed on an old man and a young man who were dancing on a square for an uncomfortably long time. Maybe just me, but it's like the cameraman is shouting at the audience, "Look! What the heck is happening here! A gay couple are dancing in public!" In China, dancing together doesn't necessarily mean they are gays. Even if they were, not your business.

[character]

I thought it was a good watch, but it probably wasn't 100% true.

http://www.uptheyangtze.com/

[fanglu]

I have to admit I just assumed the characters were made up. Doesn't mean it wasn't a good film though.