Film unveils dark side of China's TV talent shows

Poster of the documentary film Wo Jiu Shi Wo (I Am Myself).

In the past decade, TV viewers in China have seen several shows similar to the Super series. But none has managed to match its success in building a fan base or gaining social influence.

It was through millions of fans that the film crowdsourced around 5 million yuan ($810,000), which secured its successful shooting and a nationwide release in theaters on July 25.

Though industry insiders undervalue its performance at the box office, Long Danni, head of EE-Media which co-produced the Super shows, believes that at least 100 million yuan can be grossed. The money will go toward making two more films featuring its young stars, she says.

Long's confidence is boosted partly by director Fan Lixin's reputation. Fan is an award-winning documentary maker, known for his works on social realities, and was selected in 2013 by The New York Times as one of "20 directors to watch".

He rose to fame with the documentary Last Train Home, which recorded the annual journey of migrant workers from their urban workplaces to rural hometowns for Spring Festival.

The film won more than 60 prizes in different countries, including best feature-length documentary award at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam in 2009.

Prior to directing No Zuo No Die, Fan hadn't watched any Super shows but he took the job because in addition to questions they raised about society, he was curious to see the people who are "the country's future".