Easy, Effortless Openings

In China, the overall public assessment of Du Haibin's "Umbrella," can be characterized as one-dimensional. Du's previous piece, "1428," on the Wenchuan Earthquake reconstruction, generated the same type of observations. At home, Du's work has been panned for being absent of political accent. But abroad, these two works were rewarded The Young Jury Award at Cinema du Reel (Cinema of the Real) Film Festival and Best Documentary at Venice Film Festival. Unlike most independent documentaries that specialize in creating a solid narrative, Du's work adheres to a broader perspective that is often akin to traditional Chinese essay-writing.