Yujiapu

The film focuses on Yujiapu, a city near Tianjin, where ancestral fishing villages have been replaced by a massive but incomplete real estate project intended to serve as a new financial district. Shot in winter 2015 by Karl Lemieux and BJ Nilsen, it presents a unique perspective on urban decay and the consequences of ambitious development.

Through its abstract visuals, Yujiapu uses the structural elements of the buildings to convey a sense of desolation. The film creatively blends the lines of the architecture with the frames of the film strip, inviting viewers to reflect on the eerie beauty of this uninhabited landscape. This documentary serves as a poignant commentary on the impact of modernity on traditional communities and the resulting emptiness.