Screening 12 and 17 June 2004 at the Dendy Opera Quays.
Synopsis:
"Mart Bakal has a mission. He’s a millionaire New York banker, spreading the benefits of globalism in the former Communist world. He now wants to consolidate his reputation and make his fortune in China – the biggest market of all. But he needs a “cultural interpreter”, so he teams up with Vincent Lee, a wealthy Hong Kong entrepreneur. But with Vincent on-board and with billions of dollars to invest, Mart finds China unexpectedly slow to respond to his offers, needs and methods. This intimate film follows the two men through 3 years of their quest – through Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin, Hong Kong and New York. Their relationship becomes the fulcrum on which the film pivots. “The odd couple” - as Vincent calls them - is very funny. But the tensions between them are growing, driven by big differences in their approaches and agendas. As they draw closer to their objective, we ponder the impact of Capitalism on China - and on us all. This is a dramatic and humorous narrative which compares the values & motivations of the North American & the Chinese locked together by perceived mutual advantage in a struggle crucial to the future of each."
Details: http://www.sydneyfilmfestival.org/main/?c=custom/sff&custom/sff_task=get_movie&id=5305&mode=2
