Lu Chunsheng's film-work Before the Appearance of the First Steam Engine, 2003, is a deft commentary of contemporary China , mixing a socialist's dream, a dark underworld, and a quest for wealth. Like his fellow countryman Yang Fudong, Lu Chunsheng's films show the influence of French new wave cinema. Until 2000, foreign films were largely unavailable in China with the result that Chinese artists view Western cinema history with fresh eyes.

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