“3 Days in China” is a documentary that, in the style of a road movie, follows industrial designer Jon Marshall and his team, along with Ambessa Play founder Sara Berkai, through China’s Shenzhen province.
Over the course of three days, the documentary’s protagonists visit eight different factories where the Ambessa Play DIY Flashlight will be produced—a modular flashlight designed to help children learn about electricity while also serving as a source of light for children in refugee camps. Throughout their journey—whether in conversations during car rides between factories or in discussions with engineers and factory workers—the challenges of the fragile transition from design to manufacturing emerge.
In this three-day journey, they navigate and debate everything from simple aesthetic choices to complex ethical dilemmas. They talk about sustainability, social commitment, collaboration, and the importance of listening to and defending an idea—a design.
Produced by Pentagram and Ambessa Play.
Original Idea
Directed, film and edit
Editing Consultant
Re-recording mixer
Music curator
Production Assistant
Graphics
Jon Marshall, Andrés Fraga
Andrés Fraga
Fernando Bastero
Tapesons
Luis Campos (Sinsalaudio)
Maruxa García
Matt Willey, Mick Marbella e Huiting Lian
