Liu Jian’s loosely autobiographical portrait of art students in the mid 90s will feel loosely autobiographical to anyone who’s ever spent any time at college (or high school) and awkwardly smoked a cigarette while aimlessly pontificating on the meaning of it all – art, sex, love.
While both the place and time – a Chinese art school in 1994 – are specific enough to warrant inclusion in the film’s title, the universality of the film’s central theme – young people on the precipice of adulthood, using art as a shield against an impending and uncertain future – is an emotional touchstone. Rendered in a gorgeous and painterly 2D animation, some films provide a glimpse into an alien world, while others serve to remind us of just how alike we all are. A Dekanalog release.