Wed Mar 18
7.30pm
7.30pm
ByDesign [Online] 2020 – Hidden w/ Space Needle: A Hidden History
film
** Americaville is unfortunately no longer able to participate in our online festival, we apologize for the inconvenience. **
Americaville is an eerie disclosure of the Chinese replica city of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where citizens escape to embrace the American dream. Each weekend, Beijing residents like Annie Liu travel to the hills outside the city to enjoy fresh air, a big house, and classic “American” activities: morning walks on Route 66, Jello potlucks, and visits from the horseback-riding town sheriff. However, Annie soon finds that the longer she stays, the more the sheen of the lifestyle sold to her begins to fade.
Filmmaker Adam James Smith takes his keen interest in the creation of built environments and the expression of identity within these spaces to this Chinese replica city. The exploration leaves American audiences staring into a warped mirror that throws extravagance, commercialization, and the endless desire for more into an exposing light.