Movies
Annular Eclipse is an ambitious film. It's a small-scale genre effort, so don't expect anything too epic or blockbuster-worthy. Instead, the limited budget went to some functional CG and eye-popping cinematography to create an alluring future. The plot is quite conceptual and somewhat obfuscated to strengthen the mystery aspects of the film, but if you pay attention it shouldn't be too hard to follow. The performances are solid, there are many memorable moments and the build-up towards the conclusion was extremely effective. A neat little gem.
Chi Zhang's first feature film. It's a bit more classic arthouse fare, with light crime and mystery elements, but Zhang's eye for beautiful framing and lighting is already in full effect. It's a moody, dreamy film with an interesting lead character and an intriguing setting that weaves drama and genre elements skillfully together. I'm not sure why this film slipped through the cracks (apart from winning a festival prize in Russia), but if you like Chinese arthouse cinema peppered with minor genre elements, this is a film worth seeking out.