Shangri-La, Paradise under Construction
Documentary
Directors: Mirka Duijn & Nina Spiering
World premiere at IDFA, International Film Festival in Amsterdam, 2022, in competition for Best Dutch Documentary.
A travelogue through Shangri-La; the fictitious paradise from the classic novel Lost Horizon (1933). Twenty years ago a Tibetan tourist spot in China presented scientific proof that it was the real Shangri-La. In her search for the truth behind the supposed evidence the filmmaker excavates layers of fact and fiction of the area. What words and images have attached themselves to facts? How do stories come into being and how do they shape reality?
Read Modern Times Review about the film:
“In their film Shangri-La, Paradise under Construction, directors Mirka Duijn and Nina Spiering reconsidered the most basic premises of documentary filmmaking – truth, evidence, and interpretation.”
“Even if the fantastic nature of Shangri-La might indicate that this documentary will be about fantasy, it is not. The key theme of Shangri-La, Paradise Under Construction, is the reality and the mysterious ways of its construction.” - Melita Zajc
A travelogue through Shangri-La; the fictitious paradise from the classic novel Lost Horizon (1933). Twenty years ago a Tibetan tourist spot in China presented scientific proof that it was the real Shangri-La. In her search for the truth behind the supposed evidence the filmmaker excavates layers of fact and fiction of the area. What words and images have attached themselves to facts? How do stories come into being and how do they shape reality?
Read the IDA-review:
“A film that richly explores the creation of meaning from different perspectives that infuse the project of “paradise under construction,” and leaves viewers with hard questions to ask themselves about exoticization and power.” - Patricia Aufderheide
“A film that richly explores the creation of meaning from different perspectives that infuse the project of “paradise under construction,” and leaves viewers with hard questions to ask themselves about exoticization and power.” - Patricia Aufderheide
Read Modern Times Review about the film:
“In their film Shangri-La, Paradise under Construction, directors Mirka Duijn and Nina Spiering reconsidered the most basic premises of documentary filmmaking – truth, evidence, and interpretation.”
“Even if the fantastic nature of Shangri-La might indicate that this documentary will be about fantasy, it is not. The key theme of Shangri-La, Paradise Under Construction, is the reality and the mysterious ways of its construction.” - Melita Zajc
International Sales:
Journeyman Pictures
Produced by:
De Productie (NL),
Film Kreatörerna (SE),
Studio Kimmo (NL)
Funded by:
Dutch Film Fund,
Amsterdam Fund for the Arts
Swedish Film Fund.
Watch the teaser.
Listen to an interview with Mirka Duijn on Opium Radio (in Dutch)
Reviews in Dutch Newspapers:
NRC Newspaper ︎︎︎︎
Volkskrant ︎︎︎
Fries Dagblad ︎︎︎︎
Telegraaf︎︎︎1/2
Parool
Trouw
Filmkrant
Interview in the Dutch Film Newspaper: Filmkrant
Festivals
IDFA, International Film Festival in Amsterdam, 2022, in competition for Best Dutch Documentary.DocPoint Tallin/Helsinki 2023, Trento International Film Festival 2023,Millennium Docs Against Gravity Warsaw 2023
Nominations, prices
Nominated ‘Best Dutch Documentary at IDFA,2022’, Nominated Best Film Music for Documentary, BUMA Netherlands, 2023’, In Competition at Trento Film Festival, 2023
Journeyman Pictures
Produced by:
De Productie (NL),
Film Kreatörerna (SE),
Studio Kimmo (NL)
Funded by:
Dutch Film Fund,
Amsterdam Fund for the Arts
Swedish Film Fund.
Watch the teaser.
Listen to an interview with Mirka Duijn on Opium Radio (in Dutch)
Reviews in Dutch Newspapers:
NRC Newspaper ︎︎︎︎
Volkskrant ︎︎︎
Fries Dagblad ︎︎︎︎
Telegraaf︎︎︎1/2
Parool
Trouw
Filmkrant
Interview in the Dutch Film Newspaper: Filmkrant
Festivals
IDFA, International Film Festival in Amsterdam, 2022, in competition for Best Dutch Documentary.DocPoint Tallin/Helsinki 2023, Trento International Film Festival 2023,Millennium Docs Against Gravity Warsaw 2023
Nominations, prices
Nominated ‘Best Dutch Documentary at IDFA,2022’, Nominated Best Film Music for Documentary, BUMA Netherlands, 2023’, In Competition at Trento Film Festival, 2023
