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Beijing, the ancient capital of China, is undergoing a profound transformation. Through the lives of three taxi drivers, as they navigate a quickly morphing city, we see inside the metamorphosis and what it means for ordinary Beijingers. Our protagonists radiate a warm sense of humanity and, despite their struggles, bring us on a lyrical journey through the rubble of a society riding the bumpy road to modernisation.
As the taxi drives by we see the image of 'The Bird's Nest', the biggest steel stadium in the world. The taxi is making its way through the pulsating torrent of cars and bicycles that continually kick up clouds of dust. Amongst the hustle and the bustle are the faces of China, phlegmatic and unperturbed. Everywhere skyscrapers rise shimmering into the sky and below them the crowds throng.
"Back then you were a red revolutionary, not a capitalist", says Bai Jiwen, the driver. Bai is in his mid 50's and represents the older, lost generation that came of age during the Cultural Revolution. Despite his ability to survive in it, this new age is a continual cultural shock for him. On every street corner the new system shouts back at him, "Buy stocks! Make money!".
As we thread through the streets of Beijing, the struggle to adapt to a new capitalist system is revealed. "Welcome to Beijing; people who have dreams are all brave", goes the song. But the reality is that capitalism and unbridled consumerism has been hard on many Chinese, "All my friends say business is very tough, the future is uncertain". Wei Caixia is a mother in her mid-thirties and aspires to be the free-spirited and entrepreneurial success that has captivated the younger generations in China. Yet the realities of capitalist China have dampened those dreams, "I've become more pessimistic".
Zhou Yi, an optimistic and contented man in his late thirties, has a different outlook. For him the Beijinger's lifestyle of old offers solace as the city modernizes around him. He delights in the traditional customs and ways of life that root his life to this place, "We always flip over the picture frames ... It's a Chinese mind-set, because we always miss the elders". Yet even he must adapt to the changes and make use of every advantage he has. "There's no future for Beijing's taxi industry ... but there are not many drivers with a commercial licence, so I can also drive a bus".
These three taxi drivers are faced with the impact of socio-economic changes across every aspect of their lives - from healthcare and unemployment to marriage and family values. Beijing Taxi is a snapshot of a city in the midst of a transformation so rapid and far-reaching that long-time local residents feel like strangers in their own city.
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 Recipient of a grant from the Sundance Documentary Fund
Official Selection, SXSW Film Festival, 2010
Best Feature Documentary, Sidewalk Film Festival, 2010
Official Selection, Oxford Film Festival, 2011Three Waters Productions
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| Making the film |
Set against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, BEIJING TAXI is a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China's ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. The film takes an intimate and compelling look at the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values. Through their daily struggles infused with humor and quiet determination, BEIJING TAXI reveals the complexity and contradictions of China's shifting paradigm. |
| The Producers |
Miao Wang is a filmmaker who splits her time between New York and her hometown of Beijing. Wang immigrated to the U.S. in 1990. Her first documentary, Yellow Ox Mountain, screened at over 20 festivals and institutions and was broadcast on WNET Thirteen. She has worked as an assistant at Maysles Films, and has edited a feature-length PBS documentary and programs for National Geographic. Beijing Taxi, Wang’s first feature, premiered and nominated for Best Feature Documentary at SXSW 2010, took Best Feature Documentary at Sidewalk Film Festival 2010 and Best Director at Duke City Docfest 2010. It received a grant from the Sundance Documentary Fund, the Jerome Foundation and NYSCA, with additional support from IFP and Women Make Movies. |
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