“As long as you have a dream, to pursue and realize here, better than hollywood,” said Henry Lee in Lost in Beijing, a National Geography program produced by Hutchson brothers in Beijing.

Lost in China

I love this documentary, since it shows China from a much modernized perspective, other like the previous domumentaries which were always fulfilled by a heavy sense of bias, particularly the westerners’ misunderstanding or unmature knowledge towards communist party. The documentary was produced in 2005. The brothers were born in Beijing and spent their childhood there, so they said this trip is more like tracing back their old times. Everything is so familiar to them, but something’s changed out of their expectation.

They interviewed some people from different walks of life, a punk female singer, a university student of Peking Uni, migrant workers, children and old man living in Hutong, a traditional medical doctor, a successful self-made business man, some acrobatic performers and the farmers in cold Mongolia. All of these interviewees left me deep impressions, not because of their appearance or their words, but lies in the way the brothers interviewed them and the logic in the documentary.

The brothers knew some Chinese which is an advantage for them to have conversation with local people, I think this maybe is the reason why NG sent them to China. The angles and the way they dealing with the interviewees were very natural and went smoothly, I can feel some friendliness and confortness so it’s relaxing for the interviewees to talk everything they want.

Why I say it’s not that biased than before? Actually, it was disgusting for me to see the first interviewee, the female punk singer. I don’t know the reason to choose her to introduce the documentary, maybe it’s out of music, punk is favoured by a large number of youngsters in the west. While in China, punk is indeed played mostly by underground singers or bands. I dislike the singer’s poor English, but it’s not her fault. She can speak it is already an amzing surprise, but I do hate her heavy accent. I always have bias towards these kind of people. Except the accent, I’m disgusted with her green-colored contact lenses in her eyes and deep furrows on her forehead, these two present some sense of vulgarity. But I have to admit that I’m somewhat traditional and disfavour those who have strong prone to the things originating from West. After seeing the first interviewee, I thought this documentary would be the same way as those producers made, subjectively choosing the dark side of the country and hiting out at the disadvantages of the communist rule. However, this time is an exceptional. They later interviewed a college student from Peking University, I agree with many of the opinions the boy said. Generally speaking, he is a traditional excellent student, loving his country and aiming high in his study field. He was questioned about the party issue, and he said is quite true, in China, not everyone has to be a party member, this is not a optional or non-optional question. If you have the ability and can make contribution to the country, you will find a position of your own. I don’t know whether the brothers can fully understand this or not, even to the audience who watch this dicumentary. In China, the communist party is the only party in rule, but we Chinese haven’t been brain washed by communism. We accept and absorb all the essence of different culture and nation. Those westerners need to notice this!

It is not easy to introduce CHina in a 45-munite long program, but the brothers have made it in their view. Stoping here, I have a strong desire to pursue what I’m really like inside of my mind. I want to be someone in media industry. I like to introduce the country to outsiders with my pen or my voice. I always shout in words rather than in action that I need to improve and get to somewhere, but I at all times stop at the begining of the starter line.

I tell myself this time: Just do it!