Back in August, British Council production “From Wrexham to Wuhan” hit the big-screen (well, tent) at the UKs Green Man Festival. For those that don’t know, Green Man Fest has been going for 10 years now; it is nestled each year in the Black Mountains (no, not Mordor) near Crickhowell. The festival prides itself for being a distinctly independent affair, and resonates with the same values that are captured in the film, which showcases the incredible diversity that exists within China’s borders. By providing more granular insights from the perspective of independent artists on the ground in China’s lower-tier cities, audiences can learn to step away from China with a big ‘C’ thinking.
The film’s concept was simple – take a band from each of the home nations and drop them in on a Chinese tour in a geographical environment that might remind them in some small way of home and see what transpires. Highlights include following the journey of Gallops – a band from a post-industrial town in Wales – as members travelled along the banks of the Yangtze, playing some of the most industrial cities on the planet. And So I Watch You From Afar headed to Yunnan, China’s greenest and most verdant province. Later in 2012 Jamie Woon flew North to the great ice city of Harbin, while indie collective label Fence journeyed from their spiritual home in Fife to the deserts of Xinjiang. “From Wrexham to Wuhan” follows these epic journeys, chronicling the ups and downs, the great moments and the difficult ones.
You can view the documentary on LeTV here.
Read more about the Green Man Fest here.
*Disclaimer: “From Wrexham to Wuhan” was a British Council-backed project delivered in collaboration with Split Works.