HIGH TECH, LOW LIFE

2013 | China, Hong Kong, Taiwan | P.O.V.

Direct/Prod/Edit/Cinematog: Stephen Maing
Prod: Trina Rodriguez
Edit: Jonathan Oppenheim

High Tech, Low Life follows two of China's first and most daring citizen reporters who are fighting censorship to document the underside of the country's rapid economic development and challenging the boundaries of free speech.

Filmed on location in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Reviews

“It’s impossible not to feel connected with these guys and this movie. Regular people combating online censorship to tell the stories of other regular people may seem a distant topic to many, but
the humanity of this story is universal.”
- Beth Carter, WIRED

"Intrepid in pursing the truth."

- Andrew Schenker, VILLAGE VOICE

"Its poetry, stunning visuals and intimate encounters with the personal lives of the two traveling
bloggers kept me intrigued."
-On The Media, NPR

Awards

Little Rock FF Golden Rock Award, Best Documentary
Independent Film Festival Boston, Best Documentary
Grierson Award, U.K.
Woods Hole FF Director’s Award for Cinematography
Open City Docs Fest International Emerging Prize
EBS International Doc Festival, Best Director