MIFF Review - CITIES ON SPEED PROGRAM 1

IMDB, Wikipedia

Score:  1.5/5, 3/5

Language: Chinese, English/Hindi (both english subs)
Genre: Documentry

Summary: (from MIFF)
Shanghai Space
In a city that grows by half a million people per year, space is a precious commodity. Shanghai’s rapid expansion is forcing officials to look at subterranean accommodation as a possible answer to its housing woes.

D Nanna Frank Møller P Helle Faber WS Danish Film Institute L English, Mandarin w/English subtitles TD digibeta/2009 

 

(From MIFF)

Mumbai Disconnected
With a population set to grow from 18 million to 28.5 million in the next 10 years – 80% of whom currently catch the train to and from work each day – Mumbai is a city warping under the weight of its own infrastructure. Two citizens and a politician push their own agendas in a city on the verge of logistical catastrophe.

D Camilla Nielsson, Frederik Jacobi P Anna-Maria Kantarius, Jesper Jack, Henrik Veileborg WS Danish Film Institute L English, Hindi w/English subtitles TD digibeta/2009

 

Comments: two documentries, one after the other. Very different in approach and enjoyment.

Shanghai - Boring did not learn anything particularly interesting. Perceptions were not challenged. Only thing of vague interest, story from one of the two people that were focus of doco - A retired shop assistant that took photos around shanghai. Was put into a labour camp by the revolutionary party in the 60's for taking photos of suburbs and fields are they were un revelutionary.. Did not find this doco entertaining.

Mumbai - enjoyed, Focused on 3 people, all interesting and all linked with the growth and issues of Mumbai. Poor person who wanted to be successful for him & his family A bit of a character. Wanted to and succeeded in getting a car as it was a sign of success. A rich retired elderly woman who was a gainst an overpass that would go through her neighbourhood. The Vice President in charge of building the new infrastructure to ease up the congestion on the roads. Showed him handling and putting up with bungling incompetent underlings and people in linked businesses that almost caused the funding from the world bank for the construction to be pulled.