Chinas Most Provocative SciFi Movie Of The Decade Never Stood A Chance
If there was a pill that could tell someone was lying, would you take it? Would knowing the truth behind every lie benefit humanity? Even a white lie. Does deception no longer bring sympathy? Can the truth set you free?
Chinese director Nissan Sobhani's 2021 indie sci-fi drama Leadership grapples with such questions against the backdrop of a dystopian future. Almost a decade after the Great War ravaged the country, killing thousands and causing radiation poisoning, tech entrepreneur Su Ji (Francesco Chen) makes an incredible discovery. Using his late father's design, he creates Guidance, an edible nanotechnology pill that penetrates the body and uses artificial intelligence to turn the host into a human lie detector. Su Ji believes that the cause of this destructive conflict is dishonesty (her father's inventions also played a role in causing her own guilt) and hopes that the world would be a better place without lies. As you can probably guess, his plan worked.
Instead of exploring such large-scale surveillance technology, a sensitive issue in China, management played it safe by limiting the story to the couple. If relationships cannot experience eternal truth, how can we as a society achieve it?
Following China's current sci-fi golden age, blockbusters such as The Walking Earth and Man on the Moon are dominating the global box office, fueling enthusiastic investment in more sci-fi films. A Chinese-born Iranian-born Sobhani originally planned to make an explosive, big-budget, "hard" sci-fi film. But when the government asked for a series of films, he decided to work on a smaller scale, combining two genres rarely seen in China: art and science fiction. Although the film was a commercial failure, it serves as a hopeful sign of the future of Chinese science fiction beyond big budgets.
After Su Ji discovers a lead, her co-worker and ex-lover Miao (Xia Sun) receives an early prototype. On a romantic getaway, Miao and her friend Ji Xuan (Harry Gu) reluctantly install the app to prove their love can endure anything. Soon they start asking thoughtful questions about their loyalty, avoiding direct answers. When management discovers their little white lie, cracks begin to form around them.
With a micro-budget of 2.5 million yuan (about $350,000), Sobhani uses minimal special effects. When a character lies, a red glow appears around their head, a green glow reveals the truth, and a yellow glow reveals uncertainty. Sobhani and cinematographer Saba Majlum also played with different screen formats to determine the tone and intimacy of each scene.
Through several flashbacks, Miao's secret is revealed. The moment of failed passion with Su Jie. Then Su Ji remembers that Ji Xuan is also unfaithful. Determined to understand Ji Xuan's betrayal, Miao begins to act jealous during their journey, including deciding to name her AI voice after her ex-boyfriend.
It seems Miao learned to lie weeks ago to hide her secret. He "broke" himself because he could not break the system. During Ji Xuan's interrogation, Miao uses her lying skills to inform him;
Ultimately, the pair leave Guidance to salvage what's left of their shattered romance. Finally freed from the constraints of technology, Miao is about to confess to Ji Xuan until he reveals his secret; he is slowly dying of radiation poisoning. As Miao tearfully reacts to the news, the film cuts to a screen showing the continued decline in the number of users of the currently published guide. Like Miao and Ji Xuan, the world is not ready to face the consequences of the truth.
Although the film was approved by the Chinese Film Administration for theatrical release, Giddens did not perform well at the box office. Many viewers did not understand the meaning of the film. message, some say it's too experimental for an earlier audience. The distributor also made the unfortunate choice to release the drive on Singles Day (an unofficial holiday celebrated by those who are not in a relationship) and advised moviegoers not to bring their partners. It didn't go well.
Chauvin attributed the film's poor performance to its limited release, with most theaters reluctant to give the art film valuable screen time. The future of independent sci-fi in China does not look bright, with government guidelines emphasizing pro-Chinese stories and high-tech productions.
But all is not lost. Despite failing in China, The Direction found new life with international audiences. Available for broadcast in over 90 countries. As China continues to develop the sci-fi genre, one can only hope that these types of films will eventually get the recognition they deserve.
