People's Republic of Desire

Live streaming rooms have become a large business in China. Viewers buy virtual gifts for the hosts. Those gifts turn into money. The documentary looks at that world through three people. One is a karaoke singer. One is a migrant worker. One is a comedian who came up from poverty. All three want to be known. They want to earn as well. There is something else they are after, which is a connection with other people. The platform runs annual competitions where fans buy votes, and the host who wins takes a great deal of money. Filming was done between 2014 and 2016. The film sets what the screen promises next to what ordinary life promises. The ninety five minute film took the grand jury award at SXSW, a Chinese production Hao Wu finished in 2018.