By Changhong Zhang, bostonese.com
Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 5, 2014, –- The North America Chinese Directors Short Film Tour made a stop at Harvard University in the evening of Nov. 3. The Boston screening was co–presented by EnMaze Pictures LLC, the Asian Cultural Center Boston and the Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association (HCSSA).
During the San Fran stop of the film tour, Director Kate Tsang and Tina T.Hsu came to the Q&A (from www.enmaze.com).
The screening opened with Light Mind by Jie Yi, a fantastic combination of animation and documentary exploring the inner world of a blind photographer. Through a visual language that carefully explores narrative structures within the cinematic interplay of frame sequencing and specific shots, director Yi engages her audience in a dialogue that asks them to consider their own position in a collective exploration of individual psyche as it relates to society at large. From the slightly heavy light of filming art, audiences were taken to a witty comedy Caught.
Director Bruce Li offered a distinctive view of a hunting game between two middle school students who engaged in an “illegal” card trading and a vindictive principal who is a big card collector himself. There is also Grand Canal (Johnny Ma) and The Right Thing (Shan Jin) offered audiences great food for thoughts.
As the fourth stop of North America Chinese Directors Short Film Tour, the biggest highlight is the showcase of One Child by Zijian Mu, which is shortlisted in the 8 shorts competing for the nomination of the 87th Oscar Best Documentary Short (2015). In the 40-minute story, three households are presented to set off on distinct paths after losing their only child to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, the deadliest natural disaster in China`s recent history, generating tears among audiences all to the end.
All the five short films have shown great humanity concern and social observation. Director Zijian Mu, Jie Yi, and Bruce Li shared their film-making experience with the audience, who lingered on after the screening despite the chilling wind of late night in winter Boston.
EnMaze Pictures LLC is a New York-based film production and distribution company focused on delivering independent films that amaze and captivate to audiences in USA and China. Founded in 2013, many of its films have screened at international film-festivals and won major awards, including Sundance, Cannes, Berlin International, Palm Springs International and Student Academy Awards. EnMaze Pictures LLC also collaborates with China’s largest new media platforms, bringing high-quality films from around the world to meet new viewership in China.