This is a film about youth. Eryang and his friends who come and go in the "Republic" live indulgently, burning their lives recklessly, fearless of the future’s challenges. They are brimming with the idealism characteristic of youth. Eryang says he just happened to be born in China. In this sense, this film just happened to be shot in China because youth is something everyone has experienced, is experiencing, or will experience, regardless of nationality or identity.
On the other hand, Eryang’s youth is so unique. His belief in communism and a hippie-like lifestyle are both the personal choices and the common results shaped by the environment: with young people receiving higher education and becoming economically better-off as a result of China’s rapid economic development, the illusion of a strong nation takes shape. Urbanization and industrialization draw people into the whirlpool of consumerism, and public discourse is pervaded by xenophobic nationalism, all of which are a torment to human nature.
Making films, for me, is a way to keep myself human
I believe that the lifestyle presented by Li Eryang and his "Republic" is just a stage in his life. Idealism will inevitably crumble in the face of reality. We do not wish for "Republic" to disappear one day, but that day is inevitable. Living one’s youth without regrets is like a moth drawn to a flame, and the brilliant moments of burning should be documented, allowing more people to see and feel the life they long for but cannot obtain.
I understand that there are certain expectations for films coming from China, to be ideologically opposed to the administration. These expectations are somewhat inevitable in our case, as we found ourselves in a milieu distinguished from the unified values set and administered by the Chinese government. This is apparent and inescapable. However, this wasn’t the motivation for my venture into filmmaking. My intention is to use cameras to document diverse lifestyles, delve into people’s inner worlds through these lifestyles, and present these worlds on screen, allowing the audience to connect without barriers, to immerse themselves effortlessly in the inner world of the person on screen, just as I do.
I think this is the most valuable aspect of filmmaking, as well as the most rewarding part of documentaries.
After completing my first feature film, someone asked me about the mission of documentary filmmaking. At that time, my response was, "I don’t have a strong sense of mission. Making films, for me, is a way to keep myself human." Over the years, I’ve gradually felt that sense of mission, as if some things are there waiting for me to do. What I used to think was luck, I now consider a mission.
Jin Jiang
