''Chinese Portrait'' (

Simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...

: ''我的镜头'',

Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...

: ''Wǒ de Jìngtóu'') is a 2018 documentary film directed by Wang Xiaoshuai. It was shot over ten years in the urban east and the rural northwest of China. It is Wang's first full-length documentary.

Synopsis

''Chinese Portrait'' is predominantly composed of a series of around 60 portraits shot in video and film. They feature long shots of people standing motionless while life goes on around them. Subjects include train passengers, farmers, students, factory workers, tourists, and construction workers in both urban and rural areas of China; Wang appears in many shots. The film has no dialogue. Through these portraits, Wang aimed to give an authentic portrait of different aspects of China and portray the rapid change in Chinese society.

Production

''Chinese Portrait'' was filmed over seven years, starting in 2009, in a variety of location in eastern and northwestern China, including

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, Ningxia, and

Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...

. It was directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, produced by Isabelle Glachant and Xuan Liu, and executive produced by Qian Yini, with cinematography by Wu Di, Zeng Hui, Zeng Jian, and Piao Xinghai, sound mixing by Mikaël Barre, and editing and sound design by Valerie Loiseleux. It was produced by Front Films Co and Chinese Shadows, with distribution by Asian Shadows internationally and Cinema Guild in the United States.

Release

''Chinese Portrait'' was initially released on October 12, 2018 at the Busan International Film Festival. It premiered in the United States on December 13, 2020 at the

Museum of the Moving Image The Museum of the Moving Image is a media museum located in a former building of the historic Astoria Studios (now Kaufman Astoria Studios), in the Astoria neighborhood in Queens, New York City. The museum originally opened in 1988 as the Amer ...

in New York City.

Reception

''Chinese Portrait'' has generally been received positively by critics, holding a rating of 90% on

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and 81 on

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. Writing for

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, Scout Tafoya said that the film represents Wang's view of China, fitting well within his filmography while also stunning on its own. In ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', Clarence Tsui called ''Chinese Portrait'' a "powerful, panoramic survey of a society in transformation," and said it was key to understanding both Wang and the Sixth Generation's outlook on China. However, G. Allen Johnson, writing for the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'', criticized the film as being more of an art installation than a movie, and called it "art house arrogance run amok."

References

{{Reflist Chinese documentary films 2018 documentary films 2018 films