Electing a Village Chief (2004)

The opening of the economy has brought a new kind of democracy to rural areas. However, because the land is state-owned, local governments maintain complete control. The newly elected village chief quickly discovers his job is to work with the government to use land for economic development. Deals of power for money are common knowledge. Across the villages, uneven economic growth creates diverse stories, but the drive to profit from land remains a constant. Filmed in a rural village outside Beijing, the story focuses less on the election process and more on what happens afterward. Confronted with vast land resources and the complex interplay of land, power, economics, and society, how does an honest peasant navigate this new reality? The film explores the emotional toll – the struggle between idealism and disillusionment – revealing flaws in a system of "democracy" imposed on autocracy without accountability.