en

From Somewhere to Nowhere

  • Suisse
  • 2008
  • en
  • [cc]
  • 86'

Amidst the chaos of modern China, where megacities spring up at a dizzying pace, Swiss photographer Andreas Seibert has chosen to document the lives of the "mingong," the migrant workers who fuel the country's economic engine. Director Villi Hermann followed him in this endeavor for several years, immersing us in the photographer's eye and capturing the essence of his work on these forgotten souls. Seibert, with his lens, and Hermann, with his camera, weave together a poignant narrative that sheds light on the often-hidden reality of China's economic growth. "From Somewhere to Nowhere" is an ode to humanity in an ever-changing world, a reflection on the individual's place in the grand scheme of things, and a celebration of the power of photography as a means to capture the spirit of an era.

From Somewhere to Nowhere
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Synopsis

Amidst the chaos of modern China, where megacities spring up at a dizzying pace, Swiss photographer Andreas Seibert has chosen to document the lives of the "mingong," the migrant workers who fuel the country's economic engine. Director Villi Hermann followed him in this endeavor for several years, immersing us in the photographer's eye and capturing the essence of his work on these forgotten souls. Seibert, with his lens, and Hermann, with his camera, weave together a poignant narrative that sheds light on the often-hidden reality of China's economic growth. "From Somewhere to Nowhere" is an ode to humanity in an ever-changing world, a reflection on the individual's place in the grand scheme of things, and a celebration of the power of photography as a means to capture the spirit of an era.

What you will find in this film

A journey through a rapidly changing China • The lives of migrant workers (mingong) in China • Andreas Seibert's unique perspectives and unexpected approaches • The challenges and realities faced by migrant workers in their quest for a better life • Urban and rural landscapes of China, captured through Andreas Seibert's lens • Photographic techniques used to capture the essence of each scene • Intimate and profound moments between the subjects and the photographer • The dynamics between cinema and photography, and how the two mediums complement each other to tell a powerful story.

Keywords

Reportage & Society

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Further exploration

Bibliography

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• TALES FROM A GLOBALIZING WORLD
Publisher: Thames & Hudson - Year: 2003 - ISBN: 0-500-28432-6 - Details: 256 pages, 227 photographs - Texts by: Andreas Seibert, Thomas Kern, Cristina Nunez, Daniel Schwartz, and Carsten Stütz

• FROM SOMEWHERE TO NOWHERE. CHINA'S INTERNAL MIGRANTS
Publisher: Integral Lars Müller - Year: 2008 - ISBN: 978-3-03778-146-3 - Details: 320 pages, 228 illustrations - Texts by: Jeff Kingston, Andreas Seibert, Chen Guidi, and Wu Chuntao

• WELT-BILDER 3 / WORLD-IMAGES 3
Publisher: Helmhaus Zürich - Year: 2009 - ISBN: 978-3-86984-007-9 - Details: 183 pages - Texts by: Andreas Fiedler, Simon Maurer

• THE COLORS OF GROWTH. CHINA'S HUAI RIVER
Publisher: Integral Lars Müller - Year: 2013 - ISBN: 978-3-03778-295-8 - Details: 272 pages, 191 illustrations - Texts by: Andreas Seibert

• MANIFESTA 11 IN ZURICH. A COLLECTIVE ART EXPERIMENT
Publisher: Lars Müller Publishers - Year: 2016 - ISBN: 978-3-03778-515-7 - Details: 224 pages - Texts by: Tadeusz Dabrowski, Corine Mauch, and others