Tonight we are to see part of the magnus opus of possibly the greatest documentary-maker of our time. Phil Agland, producer, director and cameraman, brings us his intimate portrait of modern Shanghai in Shanghai Vice (World, 10pm).
Unfortunately, ATV has committed sacrilege: it is only screening three of the seven parts in the series and is not showing these in order. Instead of enjoying the narrative of the whole, we are to be plunged into the climax of Agland's series, which focuses on the work of the Shanghai police against the backdrop of a city in the midst of social and economic revolution.
Tonight we see episode six, A Life For A Life, which follows a murder case from the moment the body parts of a young schoolteacher, Zhan Jing, are lifted from a canal, through the distress of her parents, the arrest and interrogation of her boyfriend - Chen Zhenhua, a Communist Party official, and his trial and sentencing. I would have preferred to have seen A Life For A Life in its proper place, having watched the lives of a wide range of characters unfold in previous episodes. This is the episode that focuses most relentlessly on one tragic crime.
It is astounding Agland obtained such access to the mainland's law enforcement and that it allowed the underside of city life to be displayed in this way.
The maker of Beyond The Clouds, a portrait of more rural life in Yunnan, spent years building up the necessary relations and confidence in Beijing and Shanghai and nearly failed in his ambitious purpose. But by the time Agland filmed this story, he was arriving at crime scenes almost simultaneously with the police. Police, crime victims, accused and ordinary people carry on as if he is not there, such is the unobtrusive manner in which Agland cradles his camera.
The series as a whole, and this episode in particular, provide a rare insight into the mainland's justice system. In other episodes we will see police operating like many others in the developed world, dedicated to ensuring the safety of the community and employing the latest technology to do so. But this episode hints at the darker side. Even with Agland present, one officer demands a confession: 'Do we need to beat it out of you?' What we are to see tonight may be unprecedented. Many will find scene after scene deeply disturbing. Be prepared for a harrowing emotional journey as the camera does not flinch from faces expressing the agony of life's darkest moments. The only thing we are spared is the final solution to the case.
