World, The

Aroview: The dir. of PLATFORM continues his perceptive and wry dissection of Chinese society reacting with surreal clumsiness to the forces of globalisation, with a tale of two provincial 'innocents' who leave their rural home to work in World Park: a mega-sized amusement park located on the outskirts of Beijing.

Containing fullscale simulations of the famous places of the world, World Park is a compelling symbol of the overblown vacuity of the free market, but also an eyecatching backdrop for dir. Zhang-ke's multi-leveled storyline involving the various attendants, performers and construction workers caught up in the enterprise. That his camerawork is an assured marvel of fluid movement and grace adds yet more pleasure to this subtle, cautioning work.

NZ International Film Festival 2005