What was the first documentary in China?

The documentary "Wandering in Beijing" was shot on 1988, which is considered as the first documentary in China. Photographer Wu is therefore called "the father of China's independent documentary", and its significance to China's new documentary is equivalent to Cui Jianzhi's rock and roll.

"Let's be loyal to our ideals and face reality."

-Stop? Guevara

In the film, Wu focuses on a group of "northern drifters" (then known as "blind drifters") in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including writers, painters, photographers and directors. Although the reasons for leaving my hometown are different, they all came to Beijing in pursuit of more pure artistic ideals. However, the reality has given them more helplessness and embarrassment. On the surface, they are optimistic about the future, but no one knows if it is because they don't want to tell others about the unbearable weight in life.

When the reality became more and more severe, most of them tried their best to go abroad with the tide of going abroad at that time, hoping to pursue the value of life abroad. Those who vowed to find the dignity of artists in Beijing finally got the opportunity to show their talents, while some people were schizophrenic.

China's first documentary recorded the glory and dreams of drifting north 30 years ago.

When filming Wandering in Beijing, Wu Shuo said, "Some things are coming to an end, and I want to shoot them." .

Sure enough, after the documentary was completed, the material life and spiritual pursuit of this country have undergone earth-shaking changes from collective to individual in the 1990 s. The protagonists in the film have already reached the end of the world, and more than 20 years have passed. No matter where it is, it is already well-known in the industry. To sit down and listen to their stories is to sum up the youth of an era.