My Shanghai Days, Through Two Short Films
It's been about 10 years since I went to Shanghai for the first time thanks to an undergrad exchange. When I realized that so much time passed, I started looking through photos and videos from those days. I also found a few saved short videos.
My favourite is a short film titled Shanghai Forever by the media artist JT Singh.
The artist beautifully captured Shanghai's distinctive DNA, its people, and the urban environment. The film mesmerizes viewers with its original rhythm and cuts through the daily lives of Shanghainese residents. It ranges from local traditional neighborhoods, where people make baozi and tea, to modern infrastructure, like skyscrapers and packed metros. I feel JT Singh masterfully encapsulated the city's soul. Watching the video gives me the same vibes I had back in 2015.
Another saved video that really throws me back is Freeskate in Shanghai from the 80mm series by Rollerblade. Here they show some cool moves while they ride through the city, featuring flat, smooth squares, streets, plus a quick stop at a local market and Shanghainese food.
I like the video not only because it features the city—Shanghai is also where I learned roller skating. I joined the university skating club; we were a group of students practicing cone slaloms, jumps, and braking by the library square in the evenings. Often, we finished with some road skating around the city to grab street food nearby, just like in the video.