An ODE to the city... a place of human genius
This serial is first and foremost an ode to the City of Beijing or to any other major city around the world.... Cities are beautiful, they attract us from afar, make us want to get there and be part of the dream, of the creative genius that make them what they are. Then, the glitz starts to wear off and we become confronted with the reality of being a human in all its aspects... we can find ourselves amongst those who cannot cope, those who quit, those who put up a fight both through hard work or through deceit and those who create their oyster in the city...
This serial strikes the balance perfectly. It is quiet in its story-telling and powerful in its lyrics and emotions it generates from the viewer. It does not require the usual bling nor the costly productions seen usually in Chinese dramas to strike a chord and to leave a lasting nostalgic feeling. The title perfectly captures these sentiments.
The cast of course did an amazing job in supporting the whole project. The director does seem young (not many works directed to far) but is able to maintain the integrity of the remembrances of our encounters with cities.
In cities, we are confronted with ourselves and we find ourselves. Cities reflect, as a mirror, who we are or want to be fundamentally.
I remember walking the Seine river during my time in Paris or the streets of Kuala Lumpur... I found myself there.
Now, I seem to have lost myself again.
This serial strikes the balance perfectly. It is quiet in its story-telling and powerful in its lyrics and emotions it generates from the viewer. It does not require the usual bling nor the costly productions seen usually in Chinese dramas to strike a chord and to leave a lasting nostalgic feeling. The title perfectly captures these sentiments.
The cast of course did an amazing job in supporting the whole project. The director does seem young (not many works directed to far) but is able to maintain the integrity of the remembrances of our encounters with cities.
In cities, we are confronted with ourselves and we find ourselves. Cities reflect, as a mirror, who we are or want to be fundamentally.
I remember walking the Seine river during my time in Paris or the streets of Kuala Lumpur... I found myself there.
Now, I seem to have lost myself again.
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