Linda Poon shares news of a short documentary about a Chinese artist trying to "bring economic and cultural development to a village struggling to survive China's rapid urbanization."
A recently produced, 12-minute documentary called Down to the Countryside follows artist-turned-activist Ou Ning back to his home in Bishan, a small village in China's Huizhou region. According to the article by Linda Poon, Ning is "part of the emerging 'back-to-the-land' movement in China."
"With the country caught up in moving into the cities, Ou Ning wanted to created a livelier community for the Bishan villagers. So in 2011, he and fellow artist Zuo Jing founded the Bishan Project in a bid to bring business and entertainment to the village and improve the financial outlook for villagers. For example, he convinced the owners of a bookstore from a nearby town to open a branch in Bishan," writes Poon.
Oliver Wainwright also covered Ou Ning's work in Bishan for The Guardian.
Both articles include a lot more detail about Ning and the emerging movement. The documentary is also available online at a website that provides more background on the film.
Read the full story: China's Villages Are Dying. A New Film Asks If They Can Be Saved
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