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We guarantee you’ve never seen the city like this before.

Shanghai is the biggest city in China as well as a powerhouse of global finance. Most people look at pictures of the city and see a skyline dominated by skyscrapers, busy roadways, and the constant rush of businessmen and women. Yet hidden amongst the lights and noise is the life of people who work extremely hard doing more ordinary work. Urbanist and media artist JT Singh completely captivates his audience through sweeping camera work, showing brief glimpses and impressions of real-life experiences and everyday moments.

Shanghai Forever zips through the heart of the city at a pace that leaves us borderline nauseous, but also completely awed. We get to hear the sounds of people’s lives, we can feel the emotions of the citizens from all over the city and we can almost taste the steamed buns.

▼ Just trying to do some work here.

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▼ Not so busy that people can’t obey traffic rules.

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▼ But people in cars clearly need to go, go, go.

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▼ Someone has to take care of all the escalators.

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▼Still able to take some time for yourself.

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These pictures definitely don’t do Singh’s work justice, as the camera work and flow are hard to capture in static images. But watching the film reminds us that even in the hustle and bustle of a massive city, the lives of most people rest in the everyday routines that can bring us joy if we look for them. If you like what you see, be sure to check out some more of JT Singh’s videos featuring other cities on his vimeo page.

Source: Kotaro Blog
Top image: Vimeo/JT Singh