Based on a novel by Mian Mian (the actress who plays Casper) called We Are Panic, which is now banned by the communist Chinese Government. This DV feature gives us a glimpse into the lives of 4 shanghai teenagers, who are part of the current 'lost generation' of Chinese kids, brought about by China's one child policy. They experiment with drugs and sexuality in an explicit but not voyeuristic manner. The first half of the film centres around an HIV panic in a group of clubbing friends, but then spreads out into other 'panics' amongst the group of friends. The film is not directed in the conventional sense as it is shot in a documentary style, giving it a visceral gritty feeling of reality, following the 'lost' teenagers through the seedy streets of late night Shanghai. This being an independent feature, showing the true reality of Shanghai, not usually seen in Chinese films that and as a result got only a few viewings within China. Best described as a Chinese Larry Clark film, with gritty and dark subject matter with little not shown off screen.
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