Summer Diary is Wu Shuang's directorial debut, which has been nominated at this year's China Movie Channel Media Focus Unit held in Shanghai. CHINA DAILY
With her recent directorial debut meeting critical acclaim, one young woman is helping share real Chinese narratives with the world, Wang Xingwei reports.
To leave their hometown or not to leave, in 32-year-old director Wu Shuang's eyes, that is a question for many young people, including herself.
In her directorial debut Summer Diary, a film nominated at this year's China Movie Channel Media Focus Unit held in Shanghai, the protagonist Xiaohai, a schoolboy who lives alone in the desert with his father, becomes sick of the monotony and decides to go into town to find his mother and finish his writing assignment. A series of unexpected things occur, becoming a rich source of material for his summer vacation essay, which lends the film its name.
Following Xiaohai's footsteps out of the desert, the audience can contemplate the relationship between Xiaohai and his hometown.
The story is set against the background of an out-of-the-way town in the middle of two big deserts. Wu said that much of her inspiration came from a journey she once took by chance to Northwest China's Gansu province. "I was struck by the unique natural environment there," she recalled.
According to Wu, the question of leaving one's hometown faced by young people seems to be more apparent in this less developed area. "I've always been interested in the topic of 'hometown', and I think this county is a fitting place to shoot my directorial debut."
Instead of setting a serious tone, Wu opted to present the story from a child's perspective, endowing the film with lighthearted elements. "With half-formed ideas of 'departure' and 'hometown', the carefree Xiaohai gets his first glimpse of the grown-up world, which I think is well worth seeing," Wu explained.
In pursuit of spontaneity, Wu cast laypeople in the film. "The whole cast has no prior acting experience. I simply want the children to act out their daily lives," she said.
Wu's directorial debut has been widely recognized in the film industry. During its production period, it was selected as a WIP(Work in Progress) project in four renowned film festivals, including the Shanghai International Film Festival and Golden Rooster Film Festival. So far, Summer Diary has been officially selected and screened at several esteemed film festivals, including FIRST International Film Festival and Beijing International Film Festival.
Wu Shuang.
CHINA DAILY
Among the many reviews, one, in particular, touched Wu the most. She recalled that someone from the audience who was born and raised in Gansu came up to her after a screening. He left Gansu after going to university and was so thrilled to see his hometown on the big screen.
"He told me that he and his peers faced similar struggles with some of the young characters in the film, which I think is the biggest compliment to my work."
Wu hopes that the film could give the audience a medium to consider people's relationships with their hometowns, because, like many young people on and off the screen, Wu is also dogged by the dilemma of whether to return to her hometown or settle down in a big city. But she has the ability to draw inspiration from her confusion and craft it into films. "As for Summer Diary, I think no matter where people choose to stay, every choice should be respected," she said.
For Wu, what seems certain is her career in directing. As a real film buff, Wu has aspired to be a director from a young age. "Since young people are fearless, I simply went for it when I had the idea," she said.
Driven by her passion for film, Wu went to the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing for a bachelor's degree and then the London Film School, UK, to study an MA in Film-making. She took part in several film projects, including The Composer, the first joint China-Kazakhstan film production. Her academic and working experiences at home and abroad have not only taught Wu how to make films, but also deepened her understanding of telling Chinese stories in a better way.
"For many Western audiences, their first impression of Chinese cinema is kung fu movies, with limited knowledge of other genres," said Wu, who believes that more outstanding domestic films should go global.
As Wu sees it, directing is a challenging career with countless opportunities. During filming, she has encountered many difficulties. "But I have never wavered in my determination to make films and have got so much out of it as a reward," she said.
