My Favorite New (to me) Movie

I'm working nights this week, so I had the chance to watch Howard Snyder's documentary My Beijing Birthday. I knew in advance that I would like this movie, because it is all about Chinese kids. And I did like it. It's made by this guy who has fabulous Mandarin skills, and we never find out in this movie how he got this fluent--and this was my question throughout--how did this guy learn Mandarin???? Anyway, he went to Beijing to study the ancient Chinese folk art of xiansheng, which I had never heard of, but which is Chinese stand-up comedy, and he studied it in a class run by a Mrs. Ma--who makes a little girl CRY! In a comedy class!--with a bunch of little kids. Later in the film Mr. Snyder says the best way to learn a language is to speak it with kids. So maybe I should try this!
12 years later he goes back and reunites with Mrs. Ma, and some of the kids. It's interesting to see how they grew up--sort of a Chinese "Up" series.
There is, of course, lots of adorable footage of the kids doing their comedy routines, but there is also footage of Mao, and discussion of the impact of the Cultural Revolution, and the effects of western marketing on China, and on the generation of "little emperors", and how much they are loved and focused on by their parents.
I'm intrigued by this Snyder fellow. On the website for the film it says he worked in China as a debt collector. Jessh, I don't like that, despite his admirable language skills and evident sense of humor.
Makes me want to go back to China. But speaking better Mandarin.