Dream Empire

A young Chinese woman struggle

MEDIA

The “Exotic Flavour Talent Agency” can turn your sleepy rural Chinese ghost town into a booming, world-class city for the afternoon.

Company CEO Suky, his assistant Yana, and an assortment of colorful foreigners organize elaborate schemes in cooperation with property developers and local government officials.

At real estate openings they stage dazzling spectacles where their foreign employees are presented as famous entertainers, important businessmen, top-20 models, diplomats, architects, and more. The performances are timed right for when speculators from cities arrive.

CHINESE DREAMLAND
Title: Chinese Dreamland Director: David Borenstein
Producer:Jesper Jack
Outreach: Jan Rofekamp, Films Transit International
Duration: 8 min., 24 min, 60 min, 90 min.
Formats:Documentary Platforms:TV, cinema
Partners: DR, SVT, VPRO, CBC, DFI, New York Times
Delivery: Aug/Sep 2015
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uring the height of the housing boom, Suky and Yana continuously travel to remote development projects.

Staging spectacles that turn them into “cities of the future” — as defined by the surreal imaginations of provincial Chinese politicians and developers.

For a while, they make good money doing this work.

 

 

 

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ut soon the orgy of speculation becomes a deflating housing bubble. Facing increasing financial pressure, both characters are thrown into desperation and must fight to save their business and aspirations. Ultimately they come to have second thoughts on their industry—and the “Chinese dream” in general.