28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
The Beijing Ants
synopsis
In 2013, Beijing became the city with the most expensive rents in the world. The rising prices also affected the film’s director, Ryuji Otsuka, his wife and their small child. With the help of a handheld video camera and casual and hidden cameras, he has created a personal diary that begins at the moment when he must search for a new flat after his rent was suddenly and significantly raised. From this has emerged an immediate, spontaneous testimony about everyday situations that can change easily into acute conflicts – not only due to financial pressure, but also because of the ruthless approach of landlords and indifferent police.DETAIL:
“We’ll handle things according to the contract. Spoken words have no clout, only black on white counts. You say it was promised, I disagree, where’s the proof? Show us a written document.”
biography
Ryuji Otsuka and Huang Ji form both a creative and personal partnership. Otsuka, who works as a cameraman, filmed his debut fiction film Lingling’s Garden (2009) based on a screenplay by Huang. He is the creator of the documentary Trace (2013), about a Chinese-Japanese family living on an uninhabited archipelago near Japan. He also filmed Huang’s directorial debut Egg and Stone (2012), which won the Tiger Award in Rotterdam.more about film
| director: | Ryuji Otsuka |
| cast: | Ji Huang, Chihiro Otsuka |
| producer: | Ryuji Otsuka |
| script: | Ryuji Otsuka |
| photography: | Ryuji Otsuka |
| editing: | Ryuji Otsuka |
| sound: | Ryuji Otsuka |
