In this special edition Danwei FM episode, guest contributer Erica Schlaikjer interviews Conrad Clark, director of Soul Carriage, which debuted September 25th.
Soul Carriage, a literal translation of the Chinese word for hearse, or lingche tells the story of a migrant worker from a construction company in Shanghai who must return the body of his dead friend back to his family in the countryside of Zhejiang province. However, the “main character” of the film, according to Clark, is the physical environment of China, which is undergoing massive urbanization and transformation while struggling to achieve sustainability, serving as a metaphor for the psychological dilemma of millions of Chinese people, especially migrant workers, who are searching for either spiritual or material fulfillment.
Watch the trailer for Soul Carriage
Editor’s note: audio link has been corrected