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M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation, © Lu Chunsheng
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Mediatheque
Lu Chunsheng 陸春生
Before the Appearance of the First Steam Engine 第一台蒸汽機出現之前
2003
Inspired by French New Wave films, Lu Chunsheng’s unique, experimental style of storytelling often straddles the boundary between documentary and fiction. Never interested in simply documenting reality, Lu develops the most unusual plots for his characters using the genre of film noir and detective movies. In Before the Appearance of the First Steam Engine, mysterious interactions take place in three nondescript settings on the outskirts of the city: an industrial site, a railway track, and a grassland. A group of printers dressed in fisherman aprons work to produce thousands of counterfeit notes. A man in a Panama hat appears to be a likely buyer for the fake bills. Charged with tension and mystery, the film explores the dark side of a rapid urbanisation and the quest for material prosperity.
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