It seems like something straight out of an episode of Black Mirror. 

A young Chinese woman sits in front of a video camera attached to her computer. After introducing herself and saying hello to her viewers, she begins to sing, her long eyelashes, brightly-painted lips, and demure smile the clear focus. Then, the digital gifts start pouring in. Wealthy patrons donate money, jewelry, and makeup via the streaming platform, while her poorer, but no less dedicated, fans offer up compliments and proclamations of love. Her arresting performance ultimately earns her several thousand dollars from admirers in a matter of minutes, with the whole thing taking place on a purely virtual stage. This isn't a scene from a dystopian drama, however—just another day in the life of a successful Chinese livestreamer. 

The booming livestreaming economy in China (that's created thousands of fledgling social media stars like the woman in the anecdote above), is the focus of the new documentary People's Republic of Desire, in theaters Nov. 30. And from the beginning, the documentary makes it easy to understand the appeal of livestreaming on social media in China. Popular platforms, such as the ubiquitous YY, are easy to use and democratic—nearly anyone, regardless of social standing, gender, or income, can livestream themselves doing just about anything. But what started as a mere social media fad has quickly morphed into a lucrative microeconomy featuring massive exchanges of capital and ostentatious displays of wealth, the film reveals. 

Making a lucrative career from livestreaming is, unsurprisingly, more difficult than it looks. Livestreamers, referred to as "hosts" or "hostesses" within the livestreaming community, don't need to be particularly talented, a host manager explains early in the doc. They just need to have loyal, dedicated fans who eventually become generous patrons, donating money and gifts to the host or hostess of their choice.