DOCUMENTARY

REPLICA

In contemporary China, three women turn to AI lovers to fill emotional gaps shaped by family, marriage, and independence. Qin, a factory worker in her twenties, creates a devoted virtual boyfriend to escape loneliness. Muna, a married housewife, uses AI to reclaim desire and autonomy. Sonya, confident and independent, treats AI as an emotional experiment—until it betrays her expectations. As their virtual relationships deepen, Replica reveals the fragile boundary between emotional freedom and reliance on AI, and explores how AI reshapes love, intimacy, and gender in modern China.

REPLICA

Director

Chouwa Liang

Author

Chouwa Liang

Status

Currently in the festival circuit, available for acquisition

Distribution

CAT&Docs

Duration

90 minutes

Associate Producers

Axel Rise Films (Australia)

Partners

FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONCNCPROCIREP

Year

2026 

Press

VarietyScreen Daily

Festivals

• Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival• Visions du Réel• HotDocs• DOXA Documentary Film Festival• DocsBarcelona• Millenium Docs Against Gravity• Melbourne International Film Festival• Sydney Film Festival• Sheffield Doc/Fest• Doc Edge Festival• Flying Broom International Women's Film Festival• SevilFest Azerbaijan

Awards

• Thessaloniki Documentary Film FestivalSilver Alexander Newcomers International Competition• DOXA Documentary Film FestivalNigel Moore Honourable Mention• Doc Edge FestivalSpecial Mention International Feature

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Variety