Performing Life is a documentary about the Zhang Tou (wooden rod) puppetry art. Through the eyes of the performers and designers at the Hunan Puppet and Shadow Art Protection and Inheritance Center, we get a glimpse of the art of puppetry.

What does it take to make a puppet come to life? By talking to members of the puppetry troupe, we see how their passion for their work infuses their inanimate partners with life. They show us how puppetry and the reactions from the audience gives them satisfaction in their work.