China 2023, 24 min, Chinese, Hebrew & English subtitles

For decades, the village of Dafen in China has been home to painters. Previously tasked only with copying Western masterpieces, they are now required to produce original works. Their newly given liberty to speak their minds through their brushes raises a complex question: What kind of art does a society in transition need? The paintings in the film hang in different spaces, from museums and businesses to street corners and back rooms. For every supply—a demand, for every work—a price, and the product does not always reflect the high labor cost. The film’s clean structure—fourteen shots, each containing a still painting surrounded by life in constant motion—invites us to laugh, wonder, question, and think.

Previous Festivals: FIRST International Film Festival, IDFA, Sundance, Nowness Short Film Awards, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, Beijing International Short Film Festival

Screening Schedule:
  • Fri 24.05 | 15:00 | Cinematheque 2 | Filmmaker Present
  • יום ג' 28.05 | 20:30 | Cinematheque 5 | Filmmaker Present | After the screening, a Q&A session with Iris Zachi (M/other) will be moderated by Tamir Eting.

Dongnan’s debut, SOUND OF VISION, was nominated for an Emmy, premiered at HotDocs, and broadcasted on PBS POV. THE TRAIL FROM XINJIANG won best short at Asian American IFF. SINGING IN THE WILDERNESS (first feature), screened at IFFR, ND/NF etc. 14 PAINTINGS recently premieres at IDFA, Sundance and Xining First.

Production: Jiaqing Lin, Chongjun Li, Dongnan Chen, Jisong Li, Heying Chen
Production Company: Tail Bite Tail Films
Editing: Xiao Yang, Sisi Chen
Cinematography: Xiao Xiao
Sound Design: Bobo Lau

Source: CineFun Studio (festival handling)