Art College 1994

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Art College 1994

Released Apr 26, 2024

1h 58m

Drama

Animation

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90%

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20 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

1990s, China. A motley gang of Chinese art students fill their languid days with inchoate musings about aesthetics, philosophy and the promised 'good' life after graduation. A portrait of youth, the students live in full swing as they take their first steps into adulthood, where love and friendships are intertwined with artistic pursuits, ideals and ambitions. Caught between tradition and modernity, they now have to choose who they want to become. Amidst idle moments and flashes of artistic inspiration, Xiaojun (voiced by Dong Zijian) epitomizes the quintessential romantic, fashioning himself in the image of grunge idol Kurt Cobain. His partner-in-crime, Rabbit (Chizi), provides a stabilizing anchor with his unfiltered wit, grounding their collective aspirations. With a strikingly distinctive animation style, heightened by the resonant voiceovers of Bi Gan and Jia Zhangke, the film serves as a captivating lens through which we glimpse the inherent contradictions in a country presciently anticipating the imminent turn of the globalized millennium.

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Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

“Art College 1994” is unassumingly sweet because it’s about young people and their eternal quest for freedom and self-expression, mostly inside their own navels.

Rated: 4/4

Apr 26, 2024

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Ryan Coleman

Slant Magazine

The precise contrast of stasis and flux, of the sublime and the quotidian, of simple personal dreams swallowed up by massive national ambitions, characterizes Liu Jian’s latest.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 22, 2024

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Jessica Kiang

Variety

Like its characters, “Art College 1994” gives the impression of having just too much time on its hands.

Feb 26, 2023

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Grace Han

Asian Movie Pulse

While a general audience may find the plot discombobulated or boring, those in on the art and film world will certainly delight in Liu Jian’s latest feature.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 5, 2025

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Cody Allen

Geek Vibes Nation

Art College 1994 paints a detailed picture of young adults exploring their freedom and focusing on their own experiences.

Rated: 8.5/10

Jul 18, 2025

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Hannah Brown

Jerusalem Post

For most, this beautiful-looking talkfest will be too long to hold their interest. It could easily stand to be half an hour shorter. But art students will enjoy the visuals and the debates.

Sep 20, 2024

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LABEL 2

影片的画面表现力非常一般，角色似有似无的表情所能传递的信息往往不及配音的语气语调；喃喃自语式的问答确实向观众传递了三十年前学院青年的一种精神面貌，但他们所面对的选择与不确定性又被片尾寥寥几行文本仓促打断——跨越时代的共振最终还是消弭于“已知”和“未知”间不可逾越的鸿沟中了。

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/25

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Jian Liu

Director

Bai Ke

Voice

Guanjin Bu

Voice

Da Peng

Voice

Zigian Dong

Voice

Chizi

Voice

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Synopsis

1990s, China. A motley gang of Chinese art students fill their languid days with inchoate musings about aesthetics, philosophy and the promised 'good' life after graduation. A portrait of youth, the students live in full swing as they take their first steps into adulthood, where love and friendships are intertwined with artistic pursuits, ideals and ambitions. Caught between tradition and modernity, they now have to choose who they want to become. Amidst idle moments and flashes of artistic inspiration, Xiaojun (voiced by Dong Zijian) epitomizes the quintessential romantic, fashioning himself in the image of grunge idol Kurt Cobain. His partner-in-crime, Rabbit (Chizi), provides a stabilizing anchor with his unfiltered wit, grounding their collective aspirations. With a strikingly distinctive animation style, heightened by the resonant voiceovers of Bi Gan and Jia Zhangke, the film serves as a captivating lens through which we glimpse the inherent contradictions in a country presciently anticipating the imminent turn of the globalized millennium.

Director: Jian Liu
Producer: Dehzi Han, Yang Cheng
Screenwriter: Jian Liu, Shan Lin
Distributor: Dekanalog
Production Co: NeZha Bros. Pictures, Perfect Circle Productions, Modern Artists, Hangzhou Lightriver Culture & Media, China Academy of Art, Le-Joy Animation Studio
Genre: Drama, Animation
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 26, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 58m

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