New York Times

“Five Sci-Fi Films to Stream Now”

By Elisabeth Vincentelli, published 8 July 2022

“At first glance, it looks as if this Chinese film is about the effects of an ingestible app (it comes inside an orange-ish pill) called Guidance, which allows people to detect when their interlocutors aren’t telling the truth. The consequences of being able to instantly spot lies would make for a possible companion piece to John Carpenter’s underrated “They Live” (1988), in which special sunglasses let the wearer see subliminal messages and aliens passing as human. But the interest of Neysan Sobhani’s movie lies elsewhere: What drives the invention of a potentially world-changing technology? It’s hard to watch this film and not muse about what Facebook might have been like if Mark Zuckerberg had had different motivations at Harvard.”

“The key to the story is Han Miao (Sun Jia), a woman who once got stuck in a panic room with Su Jie (Francesco Chen), the tech mogul running the company that unleashed Guidance into the world. What happened in that room is reconstructed in a series of flashbacks as the young woman shares the memory with her boyfriend, Mai Zi Xuan (Harry Song). With events like a recent “great war” only mentioned in passing, the film is essentially a sleek three-person relationship drama, but Sobhani spices it up with slow-building suspense that rewards patience — for protagonists and viewers alike.”

China Youth Daily

Excerpts of an article published 12 November 2021 (translated from the original Chinese):

“Neysan Sobhani’s first Chinese-language feature film, GUIDANCE, explores the intersection of technology with human behavior and betterment of society… What if the vast majority of people realize that the choice of lying or deception is one source of conflict in human history? What if we remove this "choice" in the human body? A simple story of an ordinary couple placed in an extraordinary situation explores this theme, and in turn their experience shows us a greater human experience.”

“The interpretation of Guidance itself is somewhat open. It serves as a perfect story tool since it can be perceived in different ways. For example, is it a source of understanding or conflict? Is it a tool for self-reflection or can it be weaponized? Or is it our ‘conscience’ based on a belief system? If the latter, then how do we reconcile the clash of various belief systems as our world becomes smaller, more integrated?  Is “tolerance” enough or do we need a bigger ideology, such as Unity?”

Beijing Youth Daily

Excerpts of an article published 10 November 2021 (translated from the original Chinese):

“GUIDANCE”, by Neysan Sobhani, is a sci-fi feature film about technology, love and lies. “When asked ‘Why science fiction’, Sobhani said that ‘Truth, lies, and their natural dramatic extensions, like deceit, betrayal, forgiveness, love are part of every story, regardless of culture. I want to explore this topic using science fiction. It’s my first love and a perfect genre to reinterpret existing ideas.’”

“The quote from Lao Zi is integral to the film. But it needs time for reflection and it ties to the imagery in the film. We return to the philosophy of ‘duality’ expressed in the film. Through this lens Lao Zi’s quote identifies two things: the larger world, and our mastery over the outside world and people, and then the micro perception and potential mastery over ourselves-- ironically the most challenging pursuit in one’s life.”

Beijing Daily

Excerpts of an article published 24 November 2021 (translated from the original Chinese):

“GUIDANCE is actually a philosophical film with a healthy dose of science fiction, disguised as a ‘relationship sci-fi’. The approach is new in China and certainly a departure from Sobhani’s short films, which heavily lean towards emotion heavy driven stories. When asked why he chose to shoot Chinese-language films in China, Sobhani said that although the art + sci-fi genre is quite new in China, he hoped to find ‘an audience who are open to this type of film, and at the same time who are patient and curious.’”

“As an independent production with limited resources, he had a different experience compared to a studio or a larger budget film. But this also gifted a freedom to develop his vision and the luxury of time to reflect and work on the various story layers, as well as the tapestry of imagery. It’s the type of film that invites the audience to reflect long after the final credits.”

Jiemian News

Excerpts of an article published 30 November 2021 (translated from the original Chinese):

“A high-concept film that asks ‘if no one is capable of lying, will the world be a better place?’ An empty holiday house, lovers hiding secrets, human society reborn after the ruins of war, and in Neysan Sobhani, a Writer/Director who took this story to the extreme by giving every prop, every scene and every line a rich philosophical meaning –sometimes deeply hidden– to the point that the film employs a strong experimental temperament.”

“People are often surprised by the ideological impact of GUIDANCE. They are willing to interpret the richly meaningful images in the film frame by frame, even having a kind of speculative joy doing so. The Director seizes every opportunity to communicate with his audience either on this film or indeed any other film if the topic arises. He adds ‘If the film can cause people to think and debate their views, then we would have achieved something.’”

“The fact that this film was made and released cinematically is a happy surprise. After years of untold hardships, he completed a Chinese-language film with a meagre budget. He did this with valuable help along the way from countless people, but on his shoulders ultimately rested the job of taking the project from initial concept to the Release Permit (Dragon Logo).”