Villages in China are struggling to survive the country's rapid urbanization. A new short film though explores the idea of the villages' possible survival.

Filmmakers Sun Yunfan and Leah Thompson shot a documentary called, Down to the Countryside. It is a 12-minute film that follows the artist-turned activitst Ou Ning, as he tries to bring economic and cultural development to the village in the face of urbanization.

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Ning used to hate the countryside. He lived in Beijing previously where he worked as an artist. In 2013 though, he packed his bags and went to live in a small village in China's Huizhou region. He brought his family with him.

Ning is part of the emerging "back-to-the-land" movement in China.

The movement was started due to the rate of urbanization in the country. To date, the urban population in China has grown faster than any other country. About 54 percent of China's population lives in cities.

Due to the people moving out, villages are rapidly disappearing. From 3.6 million in 2002, to 2.7 million in 2012 according to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs.

While Ning and the filmmakers support the villages, the government is happy about the trend as urbanization has always been at the center of the country's economic development agenda.

Sun says that the citizens are happy too, because they see moving to the city as a sign of success. Farmers are ashamed that they are still farming.

"In China, the ideology of urbanization is too dominant. Everyone believes a successful life can only happen in the city," Ning says in the film.

Thus, Ning wanted to try and create a livelier community for the villagers. He founded the Bishan project which is a bid to bring business and entertainment to the village and improve the financial outlook for villagers.

An example is that he convinced bookstore owners to make a branch in the village; a move that has brought about local tourists.

The project is part of China's growing "back-to-the-land" movement, where entrepreneurs are trying to revitalize villages and create a sustainable life for those still living in them.

You can watch the short film here.

TagsDown to the Countryside, Villages, Urbanization, Ou Ning, Leah Thompson, Sun Yunfan