“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.

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is an excellent political thriller with a Christian message. The United States government has created an operation to ban the Bible and create its own “Truth Bible.” An underground Christian activist has asked Christian leader, Nate, to smuggle Bibles to seven churches in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Nate tries to enlist the help of the activist’s former friend, Jim, to help. However, Jim’s wife was murdered by government agents, and Jim is afraid for his adult daughter’s safety. Can anything convince Jim to help? And, will Nate’s smuggling plan succeed?

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is a superbly written, suspenseful thriller. Writer Josh Strychalski has inserted some really good twists and turns. The performances in DISCIPLES are strong, and the direction by Bret Varvel, who plays Nate, is excellent. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT has an inspiring Christian, biblical worldview. It sends a powerful message about protecting, spreading and defending the Word of God. It also sends a strong warning against government tyranny. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is one of the best faith-based movies and best thrillers in recent years.

(CCC, BBB, ACACAC, PPP, V, D, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Very strong Christian, biblical worldview about protecting the Word of God Written, the Bible, spreading its Gospel message and defending the Bible’s views of the effects of sin and the need for salvation through Jesus Christ’s work on the Cross alone (a man shows his younger brother how, if you water down the Bible’s view of sin and eliminate its messages on Hell, Judgment, Justice, and punishment, you do away with Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross for our sins), and movie strongly opposes big government tyranny and defends freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of the press, plus movie overcomes the tyrannical government’s attack on the Bible, Christianity, the Gospel, and Christians, and its universalist, antinomian indoctrination of the American people;

Foul Language:

No obscenities or profanities, but three or four times people pray to God, the Lord and Jesus in an informal way;

Violence:

Light violence includes government agents shoot at people, a man is shot dead and another is seriously wounded in one shooting incident, a Christian is deliberately assassinated off screen, camera cuts away as a speeding train accidentally hits a pickup truck stalled on the tracks, government agents arrest people, woman hits a woman with a shovel as the woman holds a shotgun on two people to earn some bounty money, people run from some pursuers, and brief fighting and punching;

Sex:

No sex;

Nudity:

Image of upper male nudity from afar as man lies in ambulance after being shot;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol use;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

Woman smokes cigarettes in two scenes, but no drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Tyrannical government lies and creates its own bible, twisting the words of passages such as movie explicitly shows that the government has changed the words of John 3:16 to give a false universalist, antinomian gospel with no Hell and no Justice to deceive the people while it bans the real Bible (the government’s bible is also clearly much smaller).

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is an excellent thriller about seven people intent on smuggling Bibles into Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky when a tyrannical government creates a false flag operation so it can ban the Bible and persecute Christians. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is a superbly written, suspenseful thriller with strong performances and excellent direction, and an inspiring Christian, biblical worldview that sends a powerful message about spreading the Word of God and warning against government tyranny.

A former pastor named Jim Edwards has withdrawn from preaching after an armed government official killed his wife at an anti-government Christian protest in Springfield, Ohio. Since then, the President of the United States has used the protest to ban the Bible and create a government-approved “Truth Bible.” The smaller, government approved Bible has watered down the Word of God. It even rewrote John 3:16 to preach a universalist, antinomian message of tolerance and “inclusion,” eliminating any notion of Justice, Hell, Judgment, or punishment.

Jim used to work with the leader of the Springfield protest, known only as “The Apostle.” The Apostle has reached out to a friend of Jim’s, named Nate Smith. Nate is still part of an underground church. The Apostle asks Nate to smuggle some hard-copy Bibles to seven churches in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Nate has a plan, but he needs Jim’s expertise help to help carry it out successfully. However, Jim declines, because he doesn’t want his adult daughter, Ashley to die like his wife did. Ashley wants to help Nate, though, even though her father ties to forbid her.

Can anything convince Jim to help? And, will Nate’s smuggling plan succeed?

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is a superbly written, suspenseful thriller. Writer Josh Strychalski has inserted some really good twists and turns that keep viewers engaged. Josh also plays one of the Bible smugglers, who faces some emotional family obstacles. The performances in DISCIPLES are strong, and the direction by Bret Varvel, who plays Nate, is excellent.

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT has an inspiring Christian, biblical worldview. It sends a powerful message about protecting, spreading and defending the Word of God. It also warns against government tyranny. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is one of the best faith-based movies and best thrillers in recent years.

As a faith-based movie, DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT will be hard to beat when it comes time to hand out awards next year. It should be a contender in the Academy Awards, but Hollywood hates to reward thriller movies, much less thrillers with an overt Christian message about the right to worship.