I Wish I Knew

I Wish I Knew

Once again Bell TIFF Lightbox is offering fine cinema. This documentary was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film festival.

Zhang Zhang-ke is the well known director. Apparently he was commissioned to make this film for the World Fair Expo in 2010.I was surprised to read that he had complete freedom in the film.

The setting is mainly Shanghai. Throughout the film we are treated to interviews and scenes that tell the story of the past Shanghai and the present. At the same time we visually see the growth over a long period. It is scheduled for only 1 week at this location but like many of the films shown here it might play at different cinemas in town

At one moment you may be looking at the narrow bustling alleys filled with people and in the background you can see the construction of modern skyscrapers.

Five years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Shanghai and I was most interested in the changing city. There are still people dwelling in the alleys, cooking their food and hanging their clothes. The modern architecture is quite amazing. The city was preparing at that time for the approaching Olympics. The city was clean and much effort was being put into making the city tourist friendly.

In the film learned much about the Cultural Revolution from the stories told .by the people interviewed. I was fascinated to listen to the details from people who lived in the alleys. There was a ‘top dog’ in every lane. That boy was aggressive and powerful. They showed a young boy who wasn’t much older than 6 beckoning the others to come and fight him.

We see day laborers pushing carts with heavy material. I enjoyed looking at the faces of the women playing Mah Jong. The camera lingers on each face.

One woman tells us about her mother. She was the first wife and later was bullied by 2 later wives.

The disparity is clearly shown in the scene of the fancy men’s club. The men are wearing very expensive Chinese styled clothes. Behind each man sits a beautiful woman who moves the cards or does errands for the men. What a contrast to the bustling crowded areas of the old city.

Interviews are taken of people living in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The film is well worth watching. After this current week look to see if it is showing at a different cinema.

It was a great way of learning some history. The camera work was magnificent and I loved the long views of the various faces.