China

SHe

China · 2019 · 95 min
Mandarin with English subtitles

One of the most original and daring films this year, and certainly the only one to feature a shoe-centric critique of a patriarchal society.

In a dystopian world, male shoes, all black polish and metal grommets, are in charge and the females, red high-heels with spindly vines, are caged and kept strictly for breeding purposes. Under disguise a female breaks loose and attempts to move beyond her confines, but her attempt alters not only her fate but the very fabric of the society.

Told almost exclusively in tactile visuals and everyday objects, SHe is a striking example of the expressive power of stop-motion. The film uses almost 60,000 photographs and took over five years to create. Purposeful uses of color and eerie sound design compliments a story that is infused with suspense, cultural commentary, dark eroticism and humor. It shouldn’t be surprising that for a film with so many shoes, it has a soul.