在 海 之 间
People's Republic of Letters
Director + Producer: Ruoyun Chen; Producer + Cinematographer: Kayo Zhang
Louise Zhang, Xinge Wen @ 纽约 NYC
竹子,小麦,阿谦 @ 广州 Guangzhou
小怡,果粒,舒文,Luyang @ 上海 Shanghai
石新雨,TWY @ 苏州 Suzhou
旭楠,隋源,瀚森 @ 香港 Hong Kong
Dorothy Cheung @ 英国 UK
About
"People's Republic of Letters" (previously known as "We Swim Among Oceans") is a feature-length documentary that showcases the lives of young Chinese diasporic poets who live and write across languages and regions. Filmed in locations including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York City, London, and Australia, this film is a collaborative effort, made within the community and embodying the principle of co-creation.
The project endeavors to shed light on the stories of these individuals, once considered 'global villagers' from China, raised during the golden age of cosmopolitan ideals, who now find themselves in a global political and cultural landscape marked by rising conservatism and de-globalization. Through the lives and challenges of these individuals, the filmmaker seeks to anchor the film in an exploration of how the younger Chinese diaspora is creating cross-regional, intimate public spaces through deliberate community building, artistic endeavors, and various forms of social engagement.
The documentary project is researched and incubated at the MIT Open Documentary Lab and UnionDocs Summer Lab.