Looking at China isn’t hard with the right kind of lens. In collaboration with Beijing Normal University and the Huilin Foundation, eight York students, along with another 92 young filmmakers from 20 universities, travelled to the city of Kaifeng in East-Central Henan province. Through an immersive trip, each student was assigned to create a 10-minute documentary revolving around the theme of individual, family, and nation. The Looking China films were screened on October 13 at Nat Taylor Cinema.
Selected by associate professor Tereza Barta, the York film students included Samira Darbandsari, Sonetta Duncan, Cristian Gomes, Mehrtash Mohit, MFA students Nikita Mor and Mahsa Razavi, and recent graduates Rani Naser and Vladimir Paskaljevic.
Over three weeks, students and supervising professor Barbara Evans were guests at Kaifeng, with full accommodations including transportation, meals, phone cards, editing facilities, and local production assistants to serve as translators. The trip culminated with a two-day stop at Beijing, where a Looking China jury selected the top documentaries to be screened to all participants.
Of the six films screened, York undergrad Mohit’s documentary, More Vivid Than Sculpture: a Visual Journey into Chinese Generations was selected. Through poetry, Mohit placed emphasis on the Chinese cultural value of family, showing similarities and contrasts between three generations.
[su_quote]It gave me a sense of accomplishment to be recognized in front of my peers, the media, and attending officials, and I really enjoyed seeing the audience reaction, [/su_quote]said Mohit.
The process of cultural immersion is an important one for filmmakers. Through jumping into a culture, artists are able to soak up the values, practices, and norms that cannot always be picked up from reading.
Recent MFA grad Paskaljevic followed with an observational documentary style, inspired by Canadian filmmaker, Allan King. Paskaljevic’s short film, The Cicadas, was named after the loud insects.
“We spent a few days with a Chinese family and filmed their rituals without interacting with them. It was a fascinating insight into everyday Chinese life,” said Paskaljevic.
Barbara Evans said the trip was a fun, culturally enriching, and rewarding experience.
“The chance to travel abroad and participate in projects like this are invaluable. Learning more about other cultures and people are an irreplaceable asset to filmmakers at whatever stage of their careers,” says Evans. “For filmmakers, learning about other cultures and other ways of life enriches not only the films but the filmmakers themselves, providing an opportunity to expand their perspectives and understandings of the world.”
Victoria Goldberg, Arts Editor
Featured illustration by Sonya Gritskevich
