Director Who Reflects on Algorithms Turns Debut to Delivery Riders and Programmers

In August 2024, two feature films about the food delivery industry hit the screen. Around the time of their release, two sudden incidents involving delivery riders erupted in Hangzhou in quick succession: in August, a clash between a rider and a security guard sparked collective protests by riders in the area; in September, a “top rider” – the delivery worker who completed the most orders – died suddenly on his e-bike, triggering widespread online mourning and debate. And the filming location of Another Day Full of Hope, a film that tells the stories of delivery platform programmers and riders while reflecting on the logic of algorithms, was none other than Hangzhou.

After watching Another Day Full of Hope, Foodthink’s editorial team felt that it was not only the film that delves deepest and furthest into the subject of food delivery and algorithms, but also a rare realist masterpiece in recent years – one that captures life under the pandemic during its 2022 shoot. We believe that anyone who has lived through the upheavals of recent years can find countless points of resonance in this film. As director Liu Taifeng puts it: this is a film made for everyone.

On 4 September 2024, we sat down with the film’s director, Liu Taifeng, and producer, Zhu Tong, to talk about the creative journey and reflections behind the film, as well as how we, as ordinary people, should find our footing and truly see one another when faced with powerful algorithms and platforms. We hope that this film and this episode of the podcast can help everyone – even in the face of society’s cold, harsh realities today – hold on to a belief in seeking hope for the future, and like the film’s protagonist Wei Li, make the right choice.

Another Day Full of Hope is currently showing in cinemas nationwide. We strongly encourage you to find a screening nearby, go watch it, and share your thoughts with us.

This Episode’s Guests

Liu Taifeng

Director and screenwriter of the film Another Day Full of Hope

Zhu Tong

Producer of the film Another Day Full of Hope

This Episode’s Hosts

Wang Hao

Editor at Foodthink, with a focus on issues of labour and technology.

Tianle

Founding editor of Foodthink and convener of the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market, doing his best to avoid ordering takeaways in both work and everyday life.

Zheng Yuyang

Editor at Foodthink and a Beijing drifter from Heilongjiang. Before starting postgraduate studies, he worked as a delivery rider for four months to cover his living expenses. He currently focuses on digital technology, agricultural technology and sustainable development.

Timeline

01:56 In-depth research into delivery riders before filming began – unfair standard clauses, cooperation agreements, and work without a safety net

08:05 Delivery riders trapped in the system, filmmakers trapped in the system too – everything driven by traffic and data

09:52 A near-miss traffic accident sparks thoughts about the little people behind the city’s relentless pace, and the screenplay begins

14:58 Behind riders’ going over time limits and riding against traffic lies the reality of their everyday lives

16:21 Everyone trapped in algorithms – programmers facing KPIs, performance reviews, promotions and pay rises, or redundancy

23:34 Within the system, no one is spared when disaster strikes out of the blue

28:21 What is the value of our work? Where lies the dignity of the worker? Does “Serve the People” still mean anything?

31:04 Why do we strive so hard to make a living, yet feel so exhausted in spirit?

34:27 Restaurants are closing, platforms are booming

37:51 Cutting corners in takeaway food, neglecting food safety – do delivery riders themselves eat takeaways?

39:54 A distorted race to the bottom on price, a vicious cycle – in the end, our health pays the bill

45:14 The fragile middle class – bodies and assets that cannot withstand a single blow

50:53 Why must workers’ rights and lives give way to the platform’s reports and metrics?

55:44 Upcoming screening plans for the film

Official poster for the film Another Day Full of Hope.

Work without a safety net, unable to withstand any disaster that comes knocking.

Regardless of class, everyone is trapped in the system.

Who truly creates value? Whose eyes hold nothing but profit?

Director Liu Taifeng on set. Interestingly, in the finished film, none of the riders in yellow uniforms bears the Meituan name or logo.

The film was shot on location in Hangzhou in the summer of 2022, and the extensive use of real settings allows audiences to glimpse everyday life during the pandemic on the big screen.

Further Reading

1. Renwu magazine “Delivery Riders, Trapped in the System”

2. Sun Ping, Transitional Labour

3. The Rider Diary Series by the Stranger Portrait Project, a long-term, comprehensive showcase of delivery riders’ experiences and stories from across the country

4. Past episodes of Food Talk: “Film vs. Reality: What Do Delivery Riders’ Lives Actually Look Like? | Vol. 38”

5. Foodthink: “Riders’ Suffering and the Middle Class’s Anxiety – Who Can Save Whom?”

6. Xiansheng Zhizao: “Lawyers in the Orthopaedic Emergency Room: Car Accidents, Assembly Lines and the Price of a Human Life”

7. Chiapas East Wind TV: “What Is Labour Realism? Starting from Two Theatrically Released Films About Delivery Riders”

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