Life Imitation

Synopsis

Contemporary Shanghai, the young gathering A mega-structure under rapid development Ubiquitous screens, fragmented materiality, masked crowd We keep performing ourselves hard Living in a space-time construction created by the times and us Seeking for blending in and communication In many moments We have no clue in which layer of space are we in: Virtual space, dream space, daily space, urban space, bodily space, cellphone space, social space... This moment, he is a flaneur of night LA; Next moment, he is laughing on Shanghai street Today, she is a killer in suits; Next day, she is a body on beach without reason Maybe each layer keeps a "you" always in Confusion, loneliness, fragility, indifference, When smiling, mostly it's because seeing the absurdity of life itself Living in a daily routine, a sense of detachment haunts Life Imitation (2016) is the first feature film made by Chinese video artist Chen Zhou. It is a non-fiction film, an expanded documentary. It is a work parallels game image and image from daily life, a work that blurs virtual world and real world. It is an exploration through reality, dream and virtuality, also a group portrait of contemporary Chinese urban young lives. It brings you into and out of the Chinese young's fragmented daily life with its own rhythm. You will see their confusion and pain, fantasy and struggle. You will feel both the texture of their city and daily life that encircles them. Ultimately, it encourages you enter your own inner world, finding some relief, gaining some comfort, or generating some doubt. You name it.