

The High Life
Director: Yang Heng
Cast: Tian Li, Chen Yiling, Liang Yu
2009 | Colour | Hunan dialect | 112 mins
Zhao Dayong's The High Life tracks the course of several lost souls living in the metropolis of Guangzhou. Jian Ming is a petty con artist scamming money out of naïve new arrivals to the city- like Xiao Ya, an optimist who falls victim to his scheme. Fang is a bored, resentful professional mistress and Dian Qiu is a budding poet working as a prison guard. A forceful but understated examination of the modern quest for success in China and how that has forced culture and humanity to the sidelines.
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