2017 LACFF Non-Fiction Features Competition Lineup Review
Here are the 4 documentaries that will compete in the Non-Fiction Feature Film category in the inaugural Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival:
China’s Van Goghs
Official Selection of the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA). The film not only highlights the life of the painters working under the shadow of the “Made In China” label, but it illuminates the disparity between “manufacturing” and “creating,” as well as that of “the artisan” versus “the artist.” Does one live to live, or does one live for what the soul desires? The distance from Dafen to Amsterdam cannot be merely measured on a map — it is at once out of reach, at one’s fingertips, and thousands of miles away. In between this distance, all the bliss, absurdity, as well as the inevitable harshness of reality, are portrayed vividly and with beautiful cadence in China’s Van Goghs.
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Papa Rainbow
Papa Rainbow, directed by Popo Fan, exemplifies the state of the LGBTQ community in China. Following the exploration of the mothers of LGBTQ children in his film Mama Rainbow, Director Fan switches his subject to the fathers’ perspective. In a traditional patriarchal society, men are extremely cautious of the societal impact of their behaviors. This is why a father may be reluctant to face an audience even if he understands his child’s sexual orientation. As a film in which fathers of LGBTQ children can share their stories freely and with honesty, Papa Rainbow is a rare gem. The fact that one of these fathers is gay himself further adds the topic of LGBTQ partners into the discussion. Not only is the LGBTQ community a minority group in a traditional society, LGBTQ partners also suffer further victimization.
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Mrs Lei
Mrs. Lei sparked a 2-hour long discussion between the festival’s senior programmers. The programmers’ reactions to this film were extremely polarized. The film is extremely intimate, with Director Kailuo Zhou pointing the lens toward his grandmother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, documenting the last days of her life in a very straightforward manner that is perhaps even a bit cruel. This directness proves to be challenging for the audience to handle. Yet all the programmers agree that Mrs. Lei is, without a doubt, a powerful film. The film is especially impactful in the way that grandmother and grandson are able to communicate — silently, yet sincerely and tenderly — using the camera as a vehicle. At the end of the film, after the passing of Mrs. Lei, the grandson is finally able to let his emotions pour out. The audience comes to realize the courage and endurance that he possesses in order to remain calm as he documents his beloved grandmother’s final moments.
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Of Shadows
Director Yi Cui’s Of Shadow screened at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Setting Of Shadow apart from the three other selected films is its use of an observer’s point of view. This unique perspective reveals an unknown world to the audience: those in the city who dress up and sing praises of fantasies are actors, while those who sing and roam the mountains alone are the true poets. Under the director’s frank yet meticulous orchestration, the shadow puppet performers who are facing the challenges of the changing times are able to confirm for us one simple truth: that art is freedom, and art is life. With neither fear nor worry, despite tough realities, poetic romanticism abounds in Of Shadow.
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Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival is LA’s premier film festival with a focus on Chinese independent cinema. Inaugural edition starts on November 17–19 2017 at The Downtown Independent. Please check our films lineup, schedule, and buy the tickets here. Check our website and follow / like us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
