The core idea of the book was very insightful for me: *IT IS A PLACE WITH THE MOST

IMPORTANT OVER-FUNCTIONAL

FUNCTIONS IN SOCIETY AND BUILDS AN UPWARD CHANNEL FOR FARMERS TO ENTER THE CITY, FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE MIDDLE CLASS, CONSTANTLY CULTIVATING "NEW URBAN GROUPS.* Urban villages are not entirely negative.

Some of my classmates actually lived in it during my childhood. The life they described to me was something I had never imagined. I realized that urban villages were not only simply interesting, but also full of safety hazards and dangers. They told me Complaining about the inconvenience caused by the narrow building intervals and lack of convenient facilities (such as elevators),

However, due to policy changes, the urban village was being demolished, and she could not afford the high rents elsewhere. As a result, she decided to return to her hometown to pursue development.

Forms of modern life may differ in quite a few respects—but what unites them is their fragility, temporariness, vulnerability and inclination to constant change.”

——Zygmunt Bauman, Liquid Modernity, p.2

In liquid modernity, identity is no longer fixed, but a “projection” that is never completed. Modern individuals are constantly under pressure to reinvent themselves, their identities are forced to adapt to changing circumstances, and they no longer have a stable sense of belonging.

In liquid modernity, long-term planning has become increasingly difficult, with stability and security enjoyed by only a select few. The gig economy, short-term contracts and automation have replaced traditional lifelong careers, leaving most people trapped in precarious labor relations.

Urban villages and slums are two different concepts. While they may appear similar in some cases, they have distinct origins, development processes, and social contexts.

1. Definitions

• Urban Village: An urban village refers to areas that were originally rural but have been gradually incorporated into the urban area due to urbanization. These areas often retain their rural characteristics even though they are surrounded by the city. The formation of urban villages is often linked to land policies, where rural land remains collectively owned, and these areas lack the same level of infrastructure and management as the rest of the urban areas.

• Slum: A slum refers to a low-income, overcrowded urban area characterized by poor living conditions. Slums usually arise in cities due to factors like rapid urbanization, lack of affordable housing, and migration of impoverished populations. They are often located on the periphery of cities or in neglected areas, with insufficient infrastructure and public services, leading to poor sanitation and high crime rates.

2. Historical Background and Formation Causes

• Urban Village: Urban villages form primarily due to urban expansion and land policies. In countries like China, as cities grow, many rural areas are absorbed into urban boundaries. However, due to issues related to land ownership and usage rights, these areas often lag behind the city center in terms of development, resulting in areas that still resemble rural villages despite being surrounded by urban infrastructure.

• Slum: Slums typically form when large numbers of poor people, unable to afford housing in the regular market, are forced to live in informal settlements. These settlements are often formed on marginal land or in areas lacking government planning

3. Resident Composition and Living Conditions

• Urban Village: The residents of urban villages are often a mix of original rural inhabitants, migrant workers, and low-income city dwellers.

• Slum: Slum residents are usually from the lowest socio-economic class, often living in extremely poor conditions with limited access to basic services like water, sanitation, and electricity. These areas are typically home to unemployed individuals, migrants.

4. Infrastructure and Public Services

• Urban Village: The infrastructure in urban villages is often underdeveloped, with issues like narrow roads, unreliable utilities, and poor waste management.these areas are within or near urban areas, some infrastructure such as public transportation may be better than in slums.

• Slum: Slums usually suffer from extreme shortages of basic infrastructure and public services. They lack reliable water, electricity, sewage systems, and waste management. The living conditions are often unsanitary, and the environment is polluted.

5. Cultural and Social Environment

• Urban Village: Urban villages often retain traditional rural cultural elements. Residents may continue to follow rural customs, celebrations, and community values. While they are part of the urban fabric, these areas still have a "village" atmosphere, with close-knit relationships among neighbors and a more community-based lifestyle.

• Slum: Slums often have a complex social environment marked by poverty, crime, and a lack of formal social structures. Social connections within slums are often weak, and residents face many social issues such as violence, drug abuse, and social unrest.

Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome is a film about an amazing night in which a man and woman speak of a love affair, but the film itself portrays more than love, it portrays the connection between people

What’s interesting is the structure of this movie. It stretches one night infinitely as the main plot time, and after dawn is similar to the story after the ending. This inspired me some ideas about the structure of my video. I noticed that the urban village is so narrow that every moment feels like night, and I was able to use this contrast between light and dark to create the climax.

1. The duration of each part is too short (I often overlook this because I watch my own videos over and over again)

2 The core content is not prominent enough (I decided to delete some less useful clips to make the film more focused on the central issue)

3. The video is too visual, making it difficult to feel the specific time process (I decided to use more display materials and integrate them with visual effects)

In the second version of the video I found a better visual language so I dropped this part and my theme was not focused on nomadism

But I ended up removing it from the third version of the video because I felt it seemed to miss the point a little bit.

people leaving the urban village.

thought

At first I used a calm classical music as a contrast to the climax, but then I abandoned this part and decided to use natural sounds to maintain consistency, but for contrast I used a more monotonous wind sound. The other sounds are used as the beginning and ending sounds, and I used more human voices in the urban village part.

I

SONNY BOY tells the story of a group of teenagers were "copied" to a world where time stands still, in this world there are no other worries, all actions become meaningless, everything they do has no impact on the world.

At the beginning of the anime, the teenagers still want to return to the original world, but after a long time, they all chose to stay in this world, and finally only the main characters insisted on finding a solution, but the reality is not as good as that world, more trouble and ordinary life.

Although life is not as good as it should be but the protagonist is choosing the future rather than the present, I can't say whether this choice is better, but it is indeed positive.

This photographic work gave me a lot of inspiration. The artist inserted characters and non-existent scenery into the desolate reality to form a strong contrast. It reminded me that the contrast between urban villages and surrounding modern cities is also very strong. I may not Posed in reality but I can do it in collage form

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