DOC NYC REVIEW: ‘China Love’
Photo: China Love is a new documentary about pre-wedding photography in China. Photo courtesy of FAT DOT / Provided in press email with permission.
The new documentary China Love, by director Olivia Martin-McGuire, looks at the lucrative and booming business of pre-wedding photography in China. The filmmaker follows a bunch of couples as they prepare for the big day — although it may be difficult to discern what is bigger for them, the day of their wedding or the day they get to take stylistic photos in dresses and tuxedos.
The actual photo shoots are extravagant affairs, with makeup, elaborate settings, professional lights, plenty of flowers and sometimes even a water tank (yes, a couple requests an underwater display).
If the documentary began and ended with the pre-nuptial flair, it would be OK, something akin to a reality TV special. However, Martin-McGuire smartly delves into the customs of China, its complicated history and the generational differences of how marriage is understood. Today’s couples, according to Martin-McGuire’s thesis, may be interested in these expensive photo shoots because the previous generation — essentially their parents — lived during the Cultural Revolution when such shows of opulence were not allowed.
The economic factor is also discussed. Many couples, both in previous generations and today, live without too much disposable income, so the photography is an act of momentary escapism that can be memorialized on the walls of an apartment forever. The head of one photography company — an enormous outfit that has many studios — has tried to work the concept of “dreams” and “princesses” into the ethos of the business, and it seems to fit the whole vibe of this industry.
There’s also the romance factor. Martin-McGuire looks at the practice of arranged marriages, which were more in fashion in the past, but today there are still beliefs about the proper age to wed and what happens if a couple does not have a child. There’s one revealing scene where a park is shown for parents to advertise their unwed children to passersby. They list information like ages and occupations on pieces of paper that are attached to umbrellas, and the matchmaking game begins.
Throughout all of these cultural dives, the director never passes judgment, either with her editing, the soundtrack or the helpful descriptions that appear in text format. There is no personal opinion shared; instead, the camera comes off as an inquisitive eye, one that wants to know why, why, why.
Perhaps the most emotionally effective part of the documentary, which recently played DOC NYC, deals with a nonprofit that provides photographic memories to the generation of couples who lived during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. These couples — including one that has been married for 69 years — apply the makeup, put on the dresses and hold their loved ones with great affection. The resulting photos will bring a tear to the eye of the viewer. The customs may not be liked by everyone who has to go through them, but real love makes its way through the flashbulbs and extravagance.
There’s also a shed tear or two for a young woman whose mother has added a great deal of pressure in her life to get married (mission accomplished) and then have a baby (working on it). She looks at the camera with frustration and hope that she will be able to build a family that will be both in line with her familial expectations and her own desires.
These images and sequences in China Love are profound and moving, and Martin-McGuire should be commended for opening up this world to viewers who may not have known the long journey that is taken on the way to an eventual marriage ceremony.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSopabox.com
China Love (2018), directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire, recently played DOC NYC. Click here for more information. Rating: 
