Sadly Over-hyped

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

"Li Wen at East Lake" is a free-form work, hovering between feature film and documentary. Fact and fiction intermingle and improvisation plays an important role.The films follows the languid rhythm of the shores of iconic East Lake near the city of Wuhan and touches on themes of the development and transformation of the Chinese countryside, both socially and physically. The old - e.g. a local myth concerning a dragon in the lake and fishermen that are rendered obsolete - is contrasted with the new, e.g. an art protest against real estate development and changing attitudes among the younger generations towards sexual diversity. A subtle humor and overall light tone run through the film. The likable amateur actor Li Wen delivers a fine role. Interviews with locals only add to the documentary feel. Thanks to its striking form and tone, "Li Wen at East Lake" was one of the more memorable and refreshing films I saw at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.