A ghost city built for millions that nobody moved into — capitalism's most beautiful mistake.
The city of Ordos, in the middle of China, was build for a million people yet remains completely empty. Ordos is not so much a place but a symbol of babylonic hype. But nothing will change - as long as people believe.
Cinematography
Sweeping drone shots of empty boulevards hit different.
Direction
Kästner lets the silence speak louder than any narration.
Director
Konrad Kästner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ordos became a viral symbol of China's 'ghost cities' phenomenon, though many eventually filled. The 2014 documentary captures it at peak emptiness.
Kästner filmed during the brief window when Ordos was complete but unpopulated — a liminal space that no longer exists in this form.
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