Perfect Life (film)

Perfect Life is a 2008 ChineseHong Kong film by Emily Tang and produced by director Jia Zhangke who received a coproducer credit and his company, Xstream Pictures. The film mixes elements of dramatic fiction and documentary film.

Perfect Life was subject of some controversy in 2009 when it was pulled by Jia from the Melbourne International Film Festival, along with Jias own Cry Me a River. The decision by Jia was due to the Melbourne Film Festivals decision to air a documentary film, TheConditions of Love, about the Uigher advocate, Rebiya Kadeer, who is a highly controversial figure in China. In a letter to the festivals organizers, Jia stated that pulled both to protest against Kadeers attendance of the event. A third film, the Chinese documentary Petition, was also withdrawn due to the controversy.Despite its win at Vancouver, the film received mixed reviews from western critics. Derek Elley of the industry magazine, Variety, called it rote, anomieheavy and ultimately a step back after Tangs promising 2001 debut, Conjugation. While an Asiancinema focused academic magazine found the films mix of drama and documentary elements to be an unsuccessful stylistic choice. A similar review came from The Hollywood Reporter, which also questioned the mix of the documentary film story starring the real Jenny Tse, and the fictional story starring Yao Qianyu, noting that the film fails is that the audience never quite understand the connection between the two. ........

Source: Wikipedia