People's Republic of Desire

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dave d A documentary about the Chinese world of web streaming, which is similar to the United States' You Tube celebrities. There are no winners here as people of low social and economic status work in a Hunger Games-ish style to become the most popular (and richest) web-cammer in the country. It's a far reaching doc as it explains the inner world of these people who seemingly have no skills and the people who give them money and the people who watch people give them money. As we observe, it's hard to not be repulsed at the unadulterated greed of the participants and some family members. The more money the fans give to the contestants, the more votes. but so much of the money goes to agents and other companies. It's not a particularly inspiring movie about the human condition, but it is most definitely eye opening. Final Score: 7.4/10 Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Slick, surreal, and spectacularly sad, the documentary tracks the abhorrent chimera of neo-bourgeoisie capitalism and social media celebrity culture on steroids. It would be all too easy to get up on a soapbox and decry the hollowness of these dispiriting virtual fandoms---ironic, especially, as I write this online for basically just myself to see, reviewing into the void---but the filmmakers are more patient and more passive than that, allowing the misery to grow slowly behind the pixelated bells and whistles on screen. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Right off the bat, we are inducted into the world of live streaming hosts as a veteran manager explains the dos and don'ts to a group of wide-eyed, clearly anxious newbies. This movie goes to show how one - in fact, an entire blooming industry - can make a living through seemingly absurd ways: live stream yourself, act coy and cutesy, belt out a few songs, flirt with your supporters/fans to buy you gifts. This is in itself hard to stomach, but wait, there's more! Apparently, these live streaming hosts compete among one another to see who emerges as the most popular in an annual competition. This is when we realise the dark undercurrents of Chinese society: the fans who devote their meager earnings to their idol because they don't have any dreams of their own and so pin their hopes on him/her succeeding; the shrewd businessmen who back these idols financially and turn the contest into a political battle of "money speaks"; two idols themselves who are trapped in this pursuit of fleeting fame due to their desire for validation; and many more. It seems that these days, everyone is fighting a hard battle of loneliness and isolation. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Gonna watch it on boxxy software. I don't know how it will be... I will write ideas after I watched. ;) Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Even in this, the golden age of documentaries, People's Republic of Desire is a standout. Wu Hao's filmmaking is stellar in his ability to access and explain complex questions around this phenomena of live-streaming. Through brilliant narrative and editing choices, viewers are taken deep within this world where commentary is served, not only on the tech dystopia of commercial livestreaming, but more profoundly on the perils of late capitalism and the struggles most people have to find meaning. It's a breathtaking example of cinematic storytelling applied to real-world subject matter. Bravo. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member A fresh and compelling look at modern China through the lens of a talented filmmaker. People's Republic of Desire delves into the world of online streamers striving to make it big, their fans who find a loose sense of community behind the screen, and the big spenders that make or break these stars. Dystopian and often surreal People's Republic of Desire is Director Hao Wu's break-out film and definitely worth seeing. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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