Private Project

Tico Tico Life

On the eve of graduation, I deposited the red envelopes I collected during the New Year into the bank. Meanwhile, my soon-to-start live streaming job demanded an advance deposit. Shuttling between the church, the bank, the parking lot, and the garbage dump, I remained ensnared in the system's cage. What roles are we truly playing? This is not merely the confusion of a single youth, but a symptom of an era—where everyone employs role-playing to confront the void and absurdity to counteract absurdity. The film examines the existential states across different social spaces, inquiring if we can still reclaim our true selves amidst the role-playing and absurdity.

  • Suhao Zhang
    Director
  • Suhao Zhang
    Writer
  • Suhao Zhang
    Producer
  • You Lv
    Producer
  • Huxinya Wang
    Producer
  • Suhao Zhang
    Key Cast
  • You Lv
    Key Cast
  • Huanxi Wang
    Key Cast
  • Huxinya Wang
    First Assistant Director
  • Huxinya Wang
    Director of Photography
  • Suhao Zhang
    Director of Photography
  • Suhao Zhang
    Camera Operator
  • Huxinya Wang
    Camera Operator
  • Suhao Zhang
    Gaffer
  • Suhao Zhang
    Production Designer
  • Suhao Zhang
    Editor
  • Suhao Zhang
    Color Grading
  • Huxinya Wang
    Color Grading
  • Suhao Zhang
    Sound Designer
  • Suhao Zhang
    Sound Mix
  • Suhao Zhang
    Poster Design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    品质生活
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Feature, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 41 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 26, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 CNY
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    Chinese, English, Swedish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital,2470mm,SONY,a7m4
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Nanjing University of the Arts
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 19th FIRST International Film Festival’s FIRST PIONEER section

    China
    China Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival

    Not affecting premiere status
    Finalist
  • Urbanite Arts & Film Festival【Film Festival Alliance】

    Not affecting premiere status
    Honorable Mention
  • New York HiCine Film Festival

    Not affecting premiere status
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Suhao Zhang

Suhao Zhang (b. 2003): Born in Eastern China. A musician and filmmaker, his lens is quietly capturing a sliver of this era. As a sophomore, he directed the documentary short film Cross the Yangtze River, which made the shortlist for the 14th China Documentary Academy Awards. In his junior year, multiple short films he helmed were selected for TINFF (Canadian Screen Award Qualifying). His self-written, directed, shot, and edited work Tico Tico Life was shortlisted for the 19th FIRST International Film Festival. His practice centers on film and installation art to probe the dynamic interplay between body, identity, and social contexts. He prioritizes visual language over textual explanation, rejecting rigid interpretation or fixed meaning. Ultimately, his goal is to craft imagery that stretches the boundaries of how we experience life.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

During my junior year's winter break, I penned this absurd, unrestrained script, fully encapsulating my sense of fragmentation in the current environment and my fear and uncertainty about the future. What roles are we playing, exactly? In today's multi-dimensional alienation, what will we be molded into? The film pays homage to my most admired Swedish director, Roy Andersson, and employs various experimental techniques to alienate and interconnect "space itself."