Short films directors reveal inspirations
The directors of the shortlisted short film entries met the press on Saturday.
The directors of films that have been shortlisted for the Short Film of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival's Golden Goblet Awards briefed media about their work on Saturday.
Xu Rui, a director born in Xinjiang, spoke about his decision to set his film "Children of the Land" in his homeland.
"I had made two short films before, but neither focused on my hometown," Xu said. "It wasn't until after graduation that I realized my familiarity with the land might have resulted in my overlooking it, thereby igniting my yearning to rediscover the city."
Driven by this impulse, Xu crafted a story set in Altay, Xinjiang. In the story, the expansive and embracing terrain of Altay, along with its kind and warm-hearted inhabitants, heal the psychological distress and adverse sentiments of a prodigious speed skater named Aliya.
"As depicted in the film, the scenery of Altay is immensely expansive," Xu elaborated. "This expansiveness can evoke a sense of loneliness, but it also supports the people of this land, healing their spirits."
Through the film's visual and image elements, Xu endeavored to vividly depict the free-spirited essence of the Altay people, the expanse of life in their region, and the manner in which the land molds and transfigures the human spirit.
Another Chinese short film, "No One Knows I Disappeared", centers on the sudden disappearance of an elderly woman. It is the caregiver, rather than her family members, who embarks on a relentless search for her.
Director Bo Hanxiong revealed that his family experiences led him to ponder whether familial bonds might occasionally eclipse authentic needs, thereby serving as the impetus for the conception of this film.
"Sometimes, intimate relationships can obscure people's perception," Bo said. "In contrast, a caregiver, despite potentially engaging in limited daily conversation with the elderly woman, may become privy to and comprehend her tribulations."
He called on everyone to pay attention to those neglected groups within families and offer them warmth.
Director Xu Rui explains the reason he chose Altay as the location for his film "Children of the Land."
Director Bo Hanxiong called on everyone to pay more attention to those who are neglected by their families.
The Irish director Leila Hekmatnia also shared the inspiration behind her film "Dead in the Water".
Set against the backdrop of a region in central Iran plagued by water scarcity, the film portrays the life of a woman who employs two laborers to excavate a well. Upon the well's successful completion, a dispute ensues regarding its ownership.
"The primary motivation behind the creation of this short film was to underscore the significance of natural resources and advocate for their preservation," Hekmatnia explained.
In the film, the significance is further highlighted by the director through the survival or demise of the animals, which are frequently the first to be impacted by water scarcity.
"Shots of sheep and rabbits are included in the film," she said. "Their respective symbolic significances are entirely distinct.
"The disappearance of the sheep symbolizes the devastation of the natural habitat, whereas the emergence of the rabbit in the desert at the end of the film embodies the enduring hope for survival."
The Spanish short film "The Fountain of Memory" presents a parable about remembrance.
Mia and Marcel, a couple who have lost their shared history, reunite in a forest seeking a legendary fountain believed to restore forgotten memories. Their journey blends past and present, merging personal, collective, and historical memories.
Beyond this dreamlike journey, director Jordi Sanz Angrill expressed a desire for audiences to derive a deeper meaning. It is also a story about the war trauma in Spanish collective memory, linking individual and shared recollections.
"The film establishes a connection between reality and dreams by employing sound and imagery," he said. "I intended for this methodology to provoke contemplation among the audience regarding the collective trauma experienced by the Spanish populace.
"Concurrently, it was also my intention to reflect our Spanish identity and characteristics, thereby facilitating the healing of memory and the reconstruction of our sense of self."
Director Leila Hekmatnia emphasized the importance of water resources to both humans and animals.
Director Jordi Sanz Angrill pointed out that his film also covered a review of the war trauma of the Spanish people.
Director Mirjam Plettinx talked about her use of paper-cutting in the film "Little Story."
The shortlisted animated short films this time have also brought us many surprises and creative ideas.
"Little Story" directed by Mirjam Plettinx narrates a poignant tale, wherein a young girl named Ant bears a mysterious red egg amidst her dual roles as an office assistant and a night cleaner.
Struggling to care for it properly, she becomes progressively more anxious as the egg's weight increases in her arms. An incident transpires while Ant is hastening to her second job, compelling her to acknowledge her incapacity to furnish the requisite care and to make the most challenging decision of her life.
Plettinx disclosed that the character Ant functions as a metaphor, intended as a tribute to single mothers who raise their children alone.
"The process of the egg growing in the story represents the nurturing of a child by a mother," she explained. "Throughout this process, much like the dilemmas Ant faces in the film, single mothers encounter immense pressure."
In the portrayal of this theme, Mirjam Plettinx remarkably employed the narrative technique of paper-cutting, infusing it with a sense of significance and maintaining an element of light-heartedness.
"I love paper-cut and find it capable of conveying emotional warmth," she said. "This viewpoint, I believe, can facilitate the audience's deeper immersion into the protagonist's world."
