Hadamo

In the early days of photography, young Zhuang Xueben, overcoming prejudices and misunderstandings, traveled for ten years in western China in the 1930s and documented with precious photographs the life of rural communities in the hinterland of this huge nation. Eighty years later, his pioneering work risked not coming to light because of the oblivion imposed during the Communist regime, but thanks to his son's tenacity, it is now possible to admire these unique anthropological documents. Inspired by this extraordinary journey, three young Italian filmmakers and photographers retraced Zhuang Xueben's steps, seeking the roots of the real identity of rural China, which has inevitably blended with the subtle intrusions of Western consumer culture.