The picturesque Austrian village of Hallstatt is a World Heritage Site for Cultural Heritage. In Double Happiness it is the focus of a sharp analysis of the rapidly advancing urbanisation in China, in which different interests from East and West interact. Near the Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen, a near-exact model replica of Hallstatt’s scenic village centre is being built. »Imitating means creating«, a Chinese urban planner argues. Stories and history are eclectically re-examined in this and other similar gargantuan building projects.
The plans for the Hallstatt clone project initially operate in secret, but then quickly arouse the suspicion of the villagers who, against the idyllic alpine backdrop, discuss the events in front of the camera. We also hear from the involved parties in China. Accompanied by brass band music and Chinese melodies, Ella Raidel’s musical documentary essay elegantly mixes up so many levels of original and copy that the viewer can no longer identify any one really clear point of view. The film explores the many facets of the tensions between real events and neo-liberal dreams, between the desire for progress and the safeguarding of tradition. The Hollywood musical Sound of Music lurks in the background, providing a clever reference. For the Chinese, Double Happiness refers to the happiness that’s increased twofold when a couple decides to spend the rest of their lives together. (BS)

Film Series Fake Space