New Tang Dynasty’s dark humor political satire film “The Endgame of Winnie,” produced in Canada, written and directed by Yan Zhen, has recently wrapped up filming. Interestingly, the day of its completion coincided with the opening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party – a special temporal node that adds a sense of reality to this “prophetic drama.”
What’s even more intriguing is that from the official statements released after the Fourth Plenary Session of the CCP to the recent rumors and signs circulating, the direction of the power struggle within the CCP leadership remarkably aligns with the script of “The Endgame of Winnie,” which was completed two months ago. This “coincidence of reality catching up with fiction” cannot help but make one sigh: this is no longer just satire but a projection of reality.
Since the start of filming on October 8th, the production process has been filled with challenges. Recreating the political core atmosphere of the Eastern Imperial City in Canada posed the biggest challenge for the production team. Whether it’s the artistic set design of the palace halls, the lighting effects of political meetings, or the rhythm and metaphors of the camera shots, both the cinematography and art teams have strived to present the oppressive and absurd power dynamics with the most precision.
The performances of the actors are equally remarkable. The main cast accurately capture the characters’ psychological states and official manners – their expressions, tone, and even subtle body language are chilling. The crew jokingly said, “The audience can almost instantly recognize who is who.”
The costume and styling design also show ingenuity. The creative team shapes the characters’ appearances in a realistic and symbolic manner, continuing the contemporary political visual style while incorporating allegorical symbolism, allowing the entire work to navigate smoothly between satire and reality.
Director Yan Zhen stated, “The birth of this drama is an artistic refinement of absurd reality. We did not deliberately ‘predict’ anything, but simply honestly depicted the logic of a collapsing system. When reality and fiction unexpectedly collide, absurdity becomes the most real thing.”
“The Endgame of Winnie” is currently in its post-production phase. The first trailer is expected to be released in mid to late November, and the series will be gradually released in short episodes by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more updates.