“Working in a factory is not for girls”

Independent film punk Zhang, also known as Peng Zhang, is a film director, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, an MFA, and is also a sociological researcher and visual artist. His work “Disassociation” has received the “Zhang Xianmin Top 10 Recommendations – 3” award and special recognition at the Chongqing Youth Film Festival. He is a pioneer in the self-media film industry, as well as one of the initiators of the proletarian film movement. As the founder of the Proletariat Film Club (PFC), his experimental proletarian films on self-media platforms have gained a considerable audience. “Dissociated State” is a student film project from the School of Film at Chongqing University.

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Liang Guo is a subculture youth who is quite artistic, but she couldn’t get into university and doesn’t want to study. She only wants to hang out with her friend Hu Chuan Chun and deal with her art, which is the reason she could not get into higher education as her mother wanted. Her mother loves her but she does not understand her, which is why she pressures her to work in a factory. Guo perceives her attitude as tough love, and is in desperate need of understanding, but she cannot find her from her mother. Eventually, both friends are forced to work in a factory.

Punk Zhang directs a film that takes an intense arthouse approach towards its narrative, including elements of family drama and road trip, as much as intertitles, which are implemented to showcase her inner thoughts. The meticulous framing and the quality of compositions are definitely the highlight, with both the close ups and the long shots being impressive to watch, additionally for the placement of the actors in them.

Context-wise, the movie unfolds in two axes. The first is the relationship of Liang Guo and her mother, with the tension among them being palpable, also highlighting the difference of the two generations. Evidently, for the mother, dealing with art is just a hobby, which is why she pushes her daughter to get a job in a factory, essentially forcing her out of the house. The scene where Liang Guo hugs her and is pushed away is a highlight of the movie and also quite indicative of their relationship.

The second axis is the setting the two protagonists inhabit, where being forced to do manual work, essentially in order to be a “productive” member of society, is the rule. The way the protagonist refers to her upcoming job, “working in a factory is not for girls” also hints at the situation in similar workplaces. At the same time, and in the way their whole path towards the factory looks like a funeral procession of sorts, as the descent into hades one could say, stresses this fact even more.

The acting follows the same arthouse approach with the narrative, with very few lines here and there, and the mother being the one that does the most talking. This aspect highlights the protagonist’s mentality, who is anything but social and also functions as a metaphor for youths not having a voice in capitalist China, which is essentially the main message of the movie. The editing results in a relatively slow pace, which connects the vignette-type of sequences in fitting fashion. The use of music borders on the pretentious on occasion, and could have been handled better on occasion.

Exclusively addressed to arthouse fans, “”Dissociated State” is a well-constructed film that manages to communicate its messages eloquently, and one that is definitely on a much higher level than the usual student film.

Lenny Kravitz had an impromptu intermission during a concert in Italy to answer a phone call from his buddy Denzel Washington.

“I’m sorry, my big brother just called me up on the phone to say ‘Hi,’” Kravitz said Friday to the crowd at the Umbria Jazz Festival. “Y’all know Denzel Washington?”

The “Fly Away” singer took the moment to show a smiling Washington to the crowd, which erupted in cheers. “All right, brother, I love you. I’ll call you later,” Kravitz said, then ended the call.

Kravitz shared a video of the moment on his Instagram with the caption, “When your brother calls and you’re in the middle of a show.”

The four-time Grammy winner was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March. The “TK421” singer was joined by his daughter, actor Zoe Kravitz, and Washington. During his introduction speech, the “Training Day” actor talked about his three-decade friendship with the musician.

“He’s more than a friend, he’s more than a brother. We’re twins, we just don’t look alike. We’ve had a close brothership, friendship for about 30 years,” Washington said. “He was 7 when I met him. God has blessed him with an unbelievable talent but even more so an unbelievable heart. He’s a giver, a lover … We’re close friends. We are brothers. I love Lenny Kravitz. I love Lenny Kravitz. I love Lenny Kravitz like I’ve loved no other brother in my life.”

Kravitz and Washington’s friendship in Hollywood dates back to 2002 when the “American Woman” singer presented Washington with an award at GQ’s Men of the Year party.

The two also sat down on “The Late Show With David Letterman” in 2014 and talked about a boat trip they took together down Italy’s Amalfi Coast, where they binge-watched all of Washington’s movies.

“Denzel never watches his movies, he just makes his movies then he’s done,” Kravitz told Letterman. “I got him to watch all of his movies.”

“We didn’t watch them all,” Washington said.

“Yes we did … ‘John Q,’ ‘Man on Fire,’ ‘Malcolm X’ … We watched them all,” Kravitz said.

Kravitz continues his tour supporting “Blue Electric Light” with a sold-out show Tuesday at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and another show three days later in the Czech Republic.