About C’est la vie short film

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Based on a True Story
Short Film / Drama / Chinese Canadian Social Realism

Theme: An individual's awakening and resistance against systemic injustice, exploring immigration, labor rights, and the duality of human nature.

Stylistically, C’est la vie draws inspiration from Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing—particularly in its portrayal of marginalized communities' tension through grounded, realistic cinematography, culminating in emotionally charged confrontations.

While focusing on Chinese immigrant women in Canada facing systemic exploitation, the film shares the core spirit of Do the Right Thing: a collective voice rising against structural indifference, emphasizing urban texture, ensemble performance, and social urgency.

The film blends documentary-style realism with visual choreography, including a pivotal long-take protest sequence shot with a Steadicam to immerse viewers in the lived chaos and resistance.