14 Paintings

China 2023, 24 min, Chinese, Hebrew & English subtitles

For decades, the village of Dafen in China has been home to painters. Previously tasked only with copying Western masterpieces, they are now required to produce original works. Their newly given liberty to speak their minds through their brushes raises a complex question: What kind of art does a society in transition need? The paintings in the film hang in different spaces, from museums and businesses to street corners and back rooms. For every supply—a demand, for every work—a price, and the product does not always reflect the high labor cost. The film’s clean structure—fourteen shots, each containing a still painting surrounded by life in constant motion—invites us to laugh, wonder, question, and think.

Previous Festivals: FIRST International Film Festival, IDFA, Sundance, Nowness Short Film Awards, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, Beijing International Short Film Festival

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