Short Documentary Film By Qian Zhang |
Don't be afraid
THE FILM
Main Character
Ning Wei is a good example of an immigrant, but at the same time, she is also specifically interesting because of her strong personality and complex situation. In China, she had been divorced for many years just living with her son. On the surface she seems very optimistic. However, she is a very lonely woman. She is a rich, beautiful, talkative woman and likes singing. She makes friends quickly. At the same time, she is an emotional, sensitive woman and has a strong personality. She always feels lonely and likes to dream but always faces despair. She has passion but no patience. Therefore, she told her relatives many years ago, she will try to immigrate leaving this lonely place but nobody believed her. However, she succeeded in immigrating and set a small business in Vancouver. Yes, this is my aunt. I love and respect her, and I am a little scared of her. I knew lots of things about her life but I barely know her real feelings.
Access
I used one month to talk with my aunt and then she agreed to take part in this film. Also, She talked a lot her life in Vancouver and sent pictures to me. She told me the time she lived in Vancouver changed her a lot and this lets she reflect on her previous life. Therefore, she likes to join this film to have a record of her memory using sound and image.
Director’s Motivation
I am a member of immigrants in the UK. I can feel the same lonely and displacement in a strange city. Also, I like to focus on inside of female in the film. Therefore, that is the reason why I would like to film a dreaming of love woman in an immigrant film. As a filmmaker, I was also inspired by the film named Live with tears. This film is showing a Chinese father’s hard life in Japan. However, he never gives up and makes money without the passport living in Japan because he loves his family in China and this is the only way he can support them by sending them money.
Genre: Observational, emotional, female perspective, short, narrative documentary film.
Length: 15 minutes (Maximum)
Language: Speaking Chinese and English subtitle
Theme: woman’s emotion in an immigrant family
Style:Observational. I will film slowly inside and quickly follow her outside in order to highlight her different personality. (I will experiment with the speed and colour of shots to express her emotional reality as it changes)
Scene: I will use more close-up views, developing shots and POVs to capture the character’s real emotion. And I will put another camera to film the full-length shots in order to capture others’ reactions and the background view. Also, I will film some particulars or details such as her photos, her clothes, or some staffs in her home to express her life and personality.
Sound: Use voiceover, Interview, Background music and her singing voice.
Visual References “Lost in marriage”
I would like use this film as visual references applying in my film, such as the POVs, archive pictures, details of her environment and developing shots. The colour, is not relevant: I intend to use colour to tell story:my film will be bluer outside and warmer inside.
Main Character
Ning Wei is a good example of an immigrant, but at the same time, she is also specifically interesting because of her strong personality and complex situation. In China, she had been divorced for many years just living with her son. On the surface she seems very optimistic. However, she is a very lonely woman. She is a rich, beautiful, talkative woman and likes singing. She makes friends quickly. At the same time, she is an emotional, sensitive woman and has a strong personality. She always feels lonely and likes to dream but always faces despair. She has passion but no patience. Therefore, she told her relatives many years ago, she will try to immigrate leaving this lonely place but nobody believed her. However, she succeeded in immigrating and set a small business in Vancouver. Yes, this is my aunt. I love and respect her, and I am a little scared of her. I knew lots of things about her life but I barely know her real feelings.
Access
I used one month to talk with my aunt and then she agreed to take part in this film. Also, She talked a lot her life in Vancouver and sent pictures to me. She told me the time she lived in Vancouver changed her a lot and this lets she reflect on her previous life. Therefore, she likes to join this film to have a record of her memory using sound and image.
Director’s Motivation
I am a member of immigrants in the UK. I can feel the same lonely and displacement in a strange city. Also, I like to focus on inside of female in the film. Therefore, that is the reason why I would like to film a dreaming of love woman in an immigrant film. As a filmmaker, I was also inspired by the film named Live with tears. This film is showing a Chinese father’s hard life in Japan. However, he never gives up and makes money without the passport living in Japan because he loves his family in China and this is the only way he can support them by sending them money.
Genre: Observational, emotional, female perspective, short, narrative documentary film.
Length: 15 minutes (Maximum)
Language: Speaking Chinese and English subtitle
Theme: woman’s emotion in an immigrant family
Style:Observational. I will film slowly inside and quickly follow her outside in order to highlight her different personality. (I will experiment with the speed and colour of shots to express her emotional reality as it changes)
Scene: I will use more close-up views, developing shots and POVs to capture the character’s real emotion. And I will put another camera to film the full-length shots in order to capture others’ reactions and the background view. Also, I will film some particulars or details such as her photos, her clothes, or some staffs in her home to express her life and personality.
Sound: Use voiceover, Interview, Background music and her singing voice.
Visual References “Lost in marriage”
I would like use this film as visual references applying in my film, such as the POVs, archive pictures, details of her environment and developing shots. The colour, is not relevant: I intend to use colour to tell story:my film will be bluer outside and warmer inside.