Livestreaming Doc “People’s Republic of Desire” Coming to US Theaters, Releases Trailer and Kickstarter

If you, like us, have been curious to see director Hao Wu’s award-winning documentary about China’s livestreaming culture and industry, you might be in luck: after piling critical plaudits across the international festival circuit, People’s Republic of Desire will get a limited US theatrical release starting on November 30. This news comes from IndieWire, which reports that the documentary will hit select screens in New York and LA on November 30, with additional theaters in Austin, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland added throughout December.

And, here’s a brand-new trailer, giving a brief introduction to the livestreaming subjects that Hao Wu and his team shadowed for the film:

The team behind the film have also just launched a Kickstarter campaign with a $20,000 goal, which will go toward advertising the film’s limited theatrical run and gearing up for a wider online release at the end of the year. Here’s their pitch:

The goal of this film, however, is not to introduce to viewers the bizarre spectacle of live streaming in China, but to provide a cautionary tale of what the future could become, for all of us, if we remain careless with our dependency on technology. Live streaming has developed a complicated virtual universe in China, a universe encompassing idol worshipping, conspicuous consumption, status seeking, and layers upon layers of profit making – basically a digital replica of our real life with a whole spectrum of human desires.

Find the Kickstarter campaign here, and read more about People’s Republic of Desire in our long-read interview with Wu from May:

“The Internet Giveth, the Internet Taketh Away”: Director Hao Wu on “People’s Republic of Desire”

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Cover photo: Xiao Yong, typical diaosi fan (photo courtesy Hao Wu)

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