# Where to watch Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2018) in the UK

> Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2018) is currently available to stream in the UK on DocAlliance Films. Last verified on 14 May 2026 by ScreenSearch.

**Type:** Film  
**Year:** 2018  
**Runtime:** 35 minutes  
**Genres:** Documentary  
**Region:** United Kingdom (GB)  
**Last verified:** 14 May 2026 (2026-05-14T03:38:08.507Z)  

## Synopsis

Welcome to Shanghai. No, not the Chinese megalopolis full of neon and nouveaux riches, but precisely the opposite: an eponymous slum in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. In the distance, skyscrapers built with oil money tower above the city, but here dilapidated houses are packed along a single railway line. The slum is scheduled for demolition, and now and again a child is killed by one of the freight trains slowly chugging by.  When the German director Veit Helmer arrives in Shanghai to make a feature film, feelings quickly run high. The locals are afraid that he wants to make them look ridiculous. The young Azerbaijani filmmaker Leyli Gafarova succeeds however in gaining the inhabitants’ trust and films a choppy, playful portrait of Shanghai in the margins of the feature film production. In the guise of a making-of, she shows intimate fragments of life in the slum, while it’s still standing.

## Streaming options in the United Kingdom

### Stream (subscription)

- [DocAlliance Films](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/645973-once-upon-a-time-in-shanghai/watch?locale=GB)

## Frequently asked questions

**Where can I stream Once Upon a Time in Shanghai in the UK?**

Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2018) is currently included in subscriptions to DocAlliance Films in the United Kingdom. Sign-in is required to play. Streaming licences change occasionally — ScreenSearch refreshes its data daily.

**Is Once Upon a Time in Shanghai on Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video in the UK?**

Once Upon a Time in Shanghai is currently included with: DocAlliance Films.

**How accurate is this film's availability data?**

Availability is sourced from The Movie Database (TMDB), which in turn pulls from JustWatch. Listings are refreshed daily. For purchase decisions, the provider's own site is the source of truth.

## Sources

- Streaming availability: The Movie Database (TMDB), refreshed daily.
- Underlying licensing data: JustWatch.
- Canonical URL: https://www.screensearch.co.uk/watch/movie/645973/once-upon-a-time-in-shanghai-2018
- JSON variant: https://www.screensearch.co.uk/watch/movie/645973/once-upon-a-time-in-shanghai-2018.json

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