INSHANGHAIInShanghaiLouYe,2001shortFilmInShanghaiortheeyesofaChinesedirectorofhiscity,Shanghai,Communisteconomiccenter,butalsomegalopoliswithmanyfaces...LouYeisagreatfilmmaker.AfterhavingthesuccessthatweknowforthesublimeSuzhouRiver,theyoungdirectorofthesixthgenerationiscoupledtothedesignofthisshortfilmaboutShanghai,thecityofhisheart,beautifulandmulticultural.Camerainhand(forloversisaSonyDSR-PD150DVCam...)forsubjective,LouYerhymebeginsthisurbanplanbyagirlasleeponabed.SlowlythecameramovesoutofthesuburbwherethisunknownyoungwomanisgiventhearmsofMorpheus,bettervisitthiscitythatisShanghai.Thenarratorwhoisalsotheherosaysinvoice-overthathelovesthismegalopolis.ItfocusesontheresidentsoftheseneighborhoodswithoutclothandwithoutresourceswheremostofthenativepopulationofShanghaiLodge.IndeedthestreetsZongshanDongluwhichcontainstheBund,Pudong,thefamousOrientalPearlisnotthestockmarketandeveryone.WemustgofartherJinganDistricttodiscoverthesocialwealthofthiscity.WhyattachimmensecoldandnervousarchitectureswhiletheShanghaiBloodflowsthroughtheveinsofitsrural?It'salittlemessageLouYethroughthisshortfilm."Youcanguesswhotheyare,butwecanneverreallyknow"LouYeeradicatesararecinematicpowerofthisoftenprecariousandoldpeoplewaitingonthebuseverymorningtogotoworkandmaketheChineseeconomyhumming.TheoldstreetsofthecitylikethenearbytempleCheungHongBundtothebankoftheHuangpu,thefilmmakerdoesnotrecognizethecity.Asifallthesesteeltowersofthe21stcenturyhadabsorbedthesocialessenceofthe"ParisoftheEast".LouYethentakesusonavisittothearcades,discos,clubs,dances,flashylocationsanddisconnectedfromtherealityofordinarypeopleinthemiddleofpovertywhichisnearworkersandstreetvendorswherepeopledrowntheirdefecationinwaterbyputtingtheedgeofanoldtub...ThisisanewlookfortheWestern.Finally,aftermakingstopsinadangerousShanghaistreetsbynight,theherowakesupinthemorningdirectorinacornernearbuildingsunsafeandfixedonthefaceofashychild,concluding:"TheonlythingthatmattersisShanghai."BythesewordsMr.LouYe,Ibearyoumyesteem …