By following Li, a nightwatchman, as he goes about his daily rounds, Ivan Marković and Wu Linfeng’s From Tomorrow on, I Will tracks the rhythms that define the gargantuan and rapidly changing city of Beijing – from the movement of crowds in the markets and streets to the way the light alters its buildings and open spaces. 

 

As we follow Li and his roommate, whom he only meets to swap shifts in bed, we’re immersed in a silent urban landscape filled alternately by fluorescent-lit streets and intermittent greenery. Diegetic sound and still cameras intercept the fine contrasts between human bodies and urban constructions, and between confined and wide-open spaces. Quiet songs and remnants of vegetation erupting in the concrete jungle stand as signs of resistance against the incessant and oblivious expansion of capitalism.

 

The screening is followed by a Q&A with director Ivan Marković, hosted by film programmer Julian Ross on 10 December. You can join this event for free at 8:15pm GMT here.

Full price: £6

ICA Members: Free