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Trailer - english version
Trailer - french version
Last Days in Shibati - french version - 60'
Last Days in Shibati - english version - 60'
Synopsis
Shibati, the last remaining old district in China's largest city, Chongqing, is about to be demolished. Some of its inhabitants — seven-year-old Zhou Hong, the little prince of the alleys, Mr Li, and the extraordinary Ms Xue Lian, godmother to migrant workers — are voices from a world on the brink of destruction. They must abandon their home to be forcibly resettled in a modern world they do not understand.
We witness the gradual dismantling of this neighbourhood, as chronicled over time by director Hendrick Dusollier. In spite of the language barrier, Dusollier eventually befriends the locals, following them to what would soon be their new home—in one of thousands of anonymous tower blocks in a far-off suburb.
Rather than a snapshot of mass re-housing in China, Dusollier paints instead an intimate portrait of the locals, exposing the devastation caused by their displacement. Touching and funny, this documentary paints a masterful portrait of China's unbridled modernization.
Information
Production : Studio HdK Productions, Maria Roche Productions, Les Films d'Ici
Directed by : Hendrick Dusollier
Genre: Investigation & Politics
Available versions: French, English
Awards
- Le Grand Bivouac
- Media Prize
- Deauville Green Awards
- Gold Awarded in the "Housing and Urban Planning" category
- FIFEQ in Montreal
- Selected for the official program
- International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
- Special Jury Award
- Lussas Festival
- Official Selection
- Guanajuato International film festival
- Best Documentary
- Cinéma du Réel International Film Festival
- Best French Documentary (Marcorelles Award)
- Cinéma du Réel International Film Festival
- Youth Award