China's Van Goghs

Documentary portrait of a Chinese peasant-turned-oil painter who falls under the spell of Van Gogh while producing replicas of his paintings.

"Dafen in Shenzhen, China, open for business since 1988, is now the world’s largest oil-painting village, providing employment to some 10,000 painters who produce replicas of the Western canon’s famous paintings. Most are destined to be sold in Europe, from street stalls close to the galleries holding the originals. ... With orders in the thousands and deadlines tight, painters labour relentlessly, knee-deep in their productions. A former peasant farmer, like many of the villagers, Zhao Xiaoyong has mastered the skills to reproduce Van Goghs. His immersion in the Dutch master’s every brushstroke has become a passion and a dream: he longs to see the originals and experience Van Gogh’s world. An invitation from one of Zhao’s main clients enables him to travel to Amsterdam and to encounter his inspiration. The journey will be revelatory in unexpected ways." (New Zealand International Film Festival)

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