Ant Tribe, a film about struggling Chinese youth
Today, May 6th, marks the theatrical release of Huilong Yang's debut film "Ant Tribe".
Today, May 6th, marks the theatrical release of Huilong Yang's debut film "Ant Tribe". Blending hope with disillusionment, this poignant film reveals the hidden side of China's economic growth.
Half-film, half-documentary, this feature takes you into the world of today's Chinese youth and their aspirations for the future. This rather controversial film confronts us with the harsh reality underlying China's economic growth.
Ant Tribe is a term given to the residents of Tang Jia Ling village near Beijing. Thousands of struggling workers settle there to take advantage of low rents. What was initially meant to be temporary becomes their long-term home. Like ants, these thousands of workers live in unsanitary conditions and toil for more than 10 hours a day for meager wages. The film reveals that these "ants" are largely overqualified young people who struggle to find work worthy of their abilities, forced to juggle precarious jobs to survive and support their families still living in rural areas.
The film follows the fate of three young friends facing this difficult China. Love, dreams, disillusionment—the young experience many twists in their quest for recognition within Chinese society.
Far from what the Chinese government would have us believe, the feature emphasizes a China where the pursuit of economic growth has reduced a portion of its urban population to precarity.
Ant Tribe paints a touching portrait of Chinese youth uncertain about their future, yet clinging to hope for the fulfillment of their dreams.
Chinese filmmaker Huilong Yang sought, through this film, to tell the story of thousands of young people living in precarity—a story he himself lived through—and one he hopes will inspire young people to continue believing in their dreams.
Discover the trailer for Ant Tribe:
Frequently asked questions
Ant Tribe refers to the residents of Tang Jia Ling village, located near Beijing. The nickname is given to thousands of precarious young workers, often overqualified, who live in difficult conditions with low rents, working sometimes more than 10 hours a day for meager wages.
The film follows the fate of three young friends facing precarity in a rapidly growing China. Between hope and disillusionment, it explores the struggles of overqualified young Chinese to find employment matching their qualifications, in a country where economic growth benefits its population unequally.
The film is directed by Huilong Yang, a Chinese filmmaker making his feature debut. He draws from his own experience of precarity as a young graduate in China, seeking to testify to the reality of thousands of young people in the same situation.
The film is presented as half-fiction, half-documentary. It blends a narrative story following three fictional characters with a documentary approach to paint a realistic and touching portrait of precarious Chinese youth living in Beijing.
Ant Tribe was released in French theaters on May 6, 2015.
