Ecopolis China 2013
Distributed by Alexander Street Press, 350 7th Ave/Ste 1100, New York, NY 10001
Produced by Venla Hellstedt
Directed by Anna-Karin Grönroos
DVD , color, 56 mins, Chinese and English, Finnish, with English subtitles
General Adult
Urban Planning, Urban Development, Sustainable Design
Date Entered: 06/13/2016
Reviewed by Sharadha Natraj, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, School of Architecture and Urban PlanningEero Paloheimo, environmental engineer formerly with the Helsinki University of Technology and founder and owner of Eero Paloheimo Ecocity Ltd. is intently trying to implement solutions that will save the world from ecological catastrophe. As this film follows him, the urgency he feels is effectively conveyed, and the expectation to realize a dream builds. As he collaborates with Chinese business tycoon Zhang Yue to build the first Ecocity in China, struggles and obstacles appear in their path to what should be the inevitable solution to the problems of congestion and environmental depletion.
Skycity is their utopian vision, a test city of 20,000 inhabitants that will save natural resources in a country that is the largest contributor to climate change. Rising to be the world’s tallest building, it will be the fastest built and most energy-conserving building in the world with the best air quality. Over the course of the film, Paloheimo and Zhang follow a course that navigates the politics of development and environmental policies.
China provides a perfect scenario for experimentation. With its vast population and phenomenal and accelerated development, impact on the environment has been striking and increasingly noticeable. After facing roadblocks in Europe, Paloheimo is of the opinion that democracy is slow in a crisis such as this, and has optimism that a centralized government will make quicker decisions, thereby avoiding the mistakes other countries have made in urbanization.
Ecopolis China was nominated in 2013 for Best Mid-length Documentary at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and was an Official Selection at DOCVILLE International Documentary Film Festival Belgium. Nevertheless, at times, the subtitles are difficult to read and the narrator’s expression is stilted and monotone. In addition to the slow pace, these make the film an exercise in attention. However, the reward is a greater and important understanding of urbanization in China and the challenges faced in driving change.