The Wild East (1995) | TBS
China is arguably the most interesting and dynamic country in the world today. As the Chinese race towards the millennium and full-scale capitalism (officially known as "Socialism with Chinese characteristics", this highly personal documentary by Peter Kaufman (narrated by his father and executive producer Philip Kaufman) provides a superb, up-to-the-minute portrait of many colorful, paradoxical, manifestations of China's new spirit its "Wild East" energy echoing our own "Wild West" turbulence a century ago. Through interviews with former Red Guards and their victims in most cases personal friends of the Kaufmans the terrible years of the cultural revolution are evoked as a permanent backdrop to today's parade of billionaires, hookers, disco dancers, and everyday entrepreneurs. (US/China, 1995, 95m) – from the Telluride Film Festival Guide, 1995