What was China’s first documentary?

The documentary "Wandering in Beijing" was filmed in 1988 and is considered to be China's first true documentary. The photographer Wu Wenguang is therefore known as the "Father of Chinese Independent Documentary". His significance to China's new documentary film is equivalent to Cui Jian's significance to rock music.

“Let us be loyal to our ideals, let us face reality”

——Che Guevara

In the film, Wu Wenguang focuses the camera on a group of eight In the late 1990s and early 1990s, the "Beijing drifters" (called "Blindliu" at that time) included writers, painters, photographers, and directors. Although the reasons for leaving their hometowns varied, they all They all came to Beijing to pursue purer artistic ideals. However, the reality gave them more helplessness and embarrassment. On the surface, they are optimistic about the future, but no one knows whether that is because they are unwilling to tell others about the unbearable weight of life.

When the reality became more and more severe, most of them followed the trend of going abroad and tried every means to go out of the country, hoping to pursue the value of life abroad. However, a few of them desperately wanted to regain their dignity as artists in Beijing. , some finally get the chance to show their talents, while others suffer from schizophrenia.

China's first documentary, recording the glory and dreams of those who drifted to Beijing 30 years ago

While filming "Wandering in Beijing", Wu Wenguang said: "Something is coming to an end. I Gotta film it."

Sure enough, after the completion of the documentary, in the 1990s that followed, the country's material life and spiritual pursuits underwent earth-shaking changes, from the collective to the individual. The protagonists in the film have already gone their separate ways for more than 20 years. No matter where they are, they are already well-known professionals in the industry. Sitting down and listening to their stories is a summary of the youth of an era.