PERFECT LIFE
wanmei shenghuo
Two women's experiences of China's shifting economic forces are explored in this unconventional blend of documentary and fiction.
Quietly masterful, Emily Tang's Perfect Life discards traditional storytelling conventions to detail the contrasted experiences of two Chinese women in a country changing rapidly in the face of industrialisation and capitalism.
The fictional tale of Li Yueying - young, and struggling to fulfil her dreams in the remote north-east of China - is counterpointed with the real-life story of Jenny, a seemingly happily married woman in Hong Kong who finds her reality shaken to the core.
Jia Zhang-ke (director of Still Life, MIFF 07, and 24 City, MIFF 08) was one of the producers on Perfect Life, and the film echoes his work in its haunting imagery and blending of fact and fiction.
Director Emily Tang is a guest of the Festival.