30 Under 30 – Next-Gen Storytellers: Film, Media, and Gen Z’s New China Narrative
How Ma Li, a 25-year-old filmmaker, is giving China’s migrant youth a voice through independent cinema.
📝 By Sophia Malik | Culture & Society Correspondent
A Camera in Hand, a Story in Heart
Ma Li (25) grew up in Chongqing, a city of endless high-rises and constant migration. Her parents were among millions of rural workers who moved to cities for factory jobs, leaving Ma Li with her grandparents for most of her childhood.
That experience shaped her storytelling instinct. “Every Spring Festival, I saw my parents for just a few weeks,” she recalls. “Their stories of hardship and hope are the stories of modern China.”
After studying film at the Beijing Film Academy, Ma Li chose not to work in glossy studio productions. Instead, she turned her lens toward migrant youth—the children and young adults who live between villages and cities, caught in China’s rapid transformation.
Telling China’s Untold Stories
Ma Li’s debut documentary, “Left Behind, Not Forgotten,” follows three teenagers from rural Sichuan navigating life while their parents work in distant cities. The film struck a chord online, especially on Bilibili and Douyin, where Gen Z audiences praised her for showing an authentic China rarely seen in mainstream media.
She explains: “Our generation is not just consumers of media—we are creators of a new narrative. We must tell China’s story in our own voice.”
Recognition and Influence
In 2023, Ma Li was awarded Best Young Director at the Shanghai International Documentary Festival. Her films have been screened in community centers, schools, and even livestreamed for rural families who rarely access cinemas.
Internationally, her work has been shown at youth film festivals in South Korea and France, positioning her as part of a new wave of cross-cultural storytellers.
Challenges of Independent Filmmaking
Despite acclaim, Ma Li faces challenges. Independent cinema in China often struggles with funding and distribution. Yet she embraces these limitations, using smartphones and low-cost cameras to create raw, authentic films. “I don’t need fancy equipment,” she says. “Truth doesn’t need special effects.”
She also confronts pressure from commercial studios who push for glamorous content. But Ma Li insists on staying close to her roots: “I am not interested in showing skyscrapers and luxury malls. I want to show the kitchen table where a migrant worker eats noodles after a 12-hour shift.”
Inspiring a Generation of Storytellers
Ma Li mentors young creators through online workshops, encouraging them to film their own communities. She often reminds them of the saying: “记录中国，记录自己 (record China, record yourself).”
Her workshops have produced dozens of short films about rural festivals, factory dorm life, and Gen Z friendships—each adding to China’s growing digital narrative.
Looking Ahead
Ma Li is now working on a feature-length film exploring urban villages in Shenzhen, where migrant families build lives in the shadows of skyscrapers. She dreams of launching a Youth Storytelling Fund, giving other Gen Z creators resources to share their stories.
A New Narrative for a New China
For Ma Li, filmmaking is not just art—it is responsibility. “Our grandparents wrote poems, our parents built factories,” she says. “We make films. Each is a piece of China’s story.”
