The Chinese Mayor

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The Chinese Mayor

2015

1h 29m

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Chinese Communist Mayor Geng Yanbo demolishes 140,000 homes and relocates the people and ancient relics to adopt a clean form of economic growth and tourism.

Boyd van Hoeij

The Hollywood Reporter

At once a fascinating and shocking cautionary tale about the way gargantuan construction projects are allowed to mushroom or come to a halt according to the cryptic whims of those in power.

Oct 13, 2015

Full Review

Christopher Gray

Slant Magazine

Zhou Hao's film plays out like an episode of Parks and Recreation directed by the Maysles brothers.

Mar 10, 2015

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

"The Chinese Mayor" offers a fascinating verite portrait of the collision between progress, politics, corruption and citizens' rights in a rapidly changing People's Republic.

Jan 30, 2015

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Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

The Chinese Mayor is democratic in capturing Yanbo’s tenure, regularly splitting off to register various displaced people’s responses, then rejoining the administrative huryburly.

Jan 23, 2023

Full Review

Scott Renshaw

Salt Lake City Weekly

It's a character study that hints at a more sprawling portrait of contemporary China, but keeps making you want to go back to that one character.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 13, 2015

Full Review

Daniel Walber

Nonfics (Substack)

A panorama both physical and political, committed to as wide an angle as possible

Rated: 4/5

Feb 18, 2015

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Audience Member

A very engrossing look at a complex individual, in a messy situation with no easy answers. There's an ironic sense of humour about the whole thing, which lends itself well to portraying different sides of the problems.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A rare look at the political side of a Chinese Mayor & his bold ideas & plans to transform his city.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Hao Zhou

Director

Zhao Qi

Screenwriter

Hao Zhou

Screenwriter

Zhao Qi

Executive Producer

Michelle Ho

Executive Producer

Hao Zhou

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

Chinese Communist Mayor Geng Yanbo demolishes 140,000 homes and relocates the people and ancient relics to adopt a clean form of economic growth and tourism.

Director: Hao Zhou
Screenwriter: Zhao Qi, Hao Zhou
Genre: Biography
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 11, 2017
Runtime: 1h 29m

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