Li Yingyi obtained her Bachelor and Master of Fine Art (directing direction) degrees from The Central Academy of Drama. Her feature debut, “Shall We Talk” screened in the 13th First International Film Festival. Her UN Charity short “I am… Will You Discriminate?” went viral in China. She also works as scriptwriter and theater producer.
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The film begins under funnily ‘strict’ music, inside a reformation center, where two groups of students in perfect symmetry, girls in pink and boys and blue, are awaiting inspection from the directors of the school. The two of them, also a man and a woman, are introducing a new student, Da’Zhuang, who is obviously about to cry, to the rest of his classmates. The military discipline of the Perfection Conversion Center is evident in all aspects, with the students bound by rules for every single thing, in an effort to be shaped according to the guidelines, through ‘virtues’ that include self-dicipline and decency, which will turn them into perfect youths. ‘Motivotional’ messages are heard through speakers constantly throughout the school.
It is in this setting that we are introduced to Hao Hao, the girl with the highest Perfection scores who is about to graduate, as she roams the corridors taking pictures. Eventually she discovers her desk-mate, Nan Nan hiding behind a garbage bin. It turns out that he has a stomachache, and not of the usual kind, as he appears to be pregnant. At the same time, a fight ensues between the newcomer and a girl, with all the other students sprouting constant accusations towards the two. A bit later, during practice, Nan Nan is about to be discovered and Hao Hao runs to his rescue, in an event that leads both of them into an interrogation room.
Li Yingyi creates a dystopian/futuristic setting that seems to aim into criticizing the practices of fundamentalist governments and institutions, whose indoctrination essentially begins in the school level. One could say that the critique is turned towards the Chinese government, and its practices particularly during Covid time, although the director keeps it vague enough not to be targeted. At the same time, the ways ‘resistance’ begins is also highlighted, with the film, despite its somewhat comedic tone, having a distinct political hypostasis, enriched with a number of sociopolitcal comments, that also aim at the rumors of the reintroduction of ‘reeducation centers’ in the country..
At this point, it is interesting to see how the school implements its rules, which is a metaphor about how fundamentalist regimes do the same thing. The segregation becomes evident in all aspects, and not just the difference in clothing, as we watch the girls practicing cheerleading and the boys football, in an effort for each of the group to gain what the faculty considers the appropriate values. The rules are numerous, their constant implementation a prerequisite, and each breaking of them is punished immediately and harshly. That the changing comes from a role reversal, which is also physical apart from mental, could also be perceived as a comment in favor of the LGBT rights, but is definitely one of the smartest and most amusing elements in the short. Lastly, the cooperation of the students, who put aside their differences, also sends a message.
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Apart from the rather rich context, Li Yingyi does not forget about entertainment. As such, humor is spread throughout, with the role reversal element being the main source, while the rather intricate animation, which takes a significant part of the 19-minute short, is also a pleasure to watch. The movie switches to a kind of a thriller closer to the end, something that adds to the ‘fun’ the whole thing emits. Jing Lanyi as Hao Hao and Zhang Yi as Nan Nan are quite convincing in their roles, with the latter being very amusing in the war he presents his pregnancy.
Wu Jiacheng’s cinematography captures and presents the dystopian setting of something that looks like a futuristic prison nicely, with the fogginess that dominates the images working quite well in that regard. Zhang Danni’s editing results in a frantic pace that suits the overall aesthetics.
“Nan Run!” is a very smart, very well-shot movie that makes its comments in subtle but eloquent fashion, while offering entertainment aplenty.
