The short film "How Can I Rid My Mind of Her," directed by young director Wenli Huang and supported by the Maritime Guangdong Program, has been selected for the international competition section of the 19th Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market (SSF). The film, which will have its Japanese premiere in mid-October, stands out among 2,058 entries from around the world, making Wenli Huang one of only two Chinese directors and his film one of the two Chinese films to be included in the festival.
Image source: official website of the Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market
The Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market is one of the largest, most authoritative, and influential short film festivals in Japan, even in Asia, accredited by the Canadian Screen Award Qualifying and others, serving as a central stage for the display of transnational cinema in Asia. It attracts between 2,800 to 3,500 entries of various genres each year. The 19th edition of the festival is scheduled to take place from October 11th to 14th, 2024.
"How Can I Rid My Mind of Her" was supported by the Maritime Guangdong Young Director Support Program (referred to as the Maritime Guangdong Program) for its production. The film, which was primarily shot at the Hongqi Tea Factory in Yinghong Town, Yingde, Guangdong, tells the story of Jian , a Vietnamese returnee tea picker who has lost his loved one, and his struggles with the pain in life.
Poster for "How Can I Rid My Mind of Her"
Wenli Huang, who was born and raised in Guangdong, has always been interested in the culture of overseas Chinese and their stories. He chose the unique perspective of "difficult overseas Chinese" (referring to those who have faced war, natural disasters, or man-made persecutions abroad) for his short film. The protagonist, Jian, is a returnee from Vietnam in the 1970s, and the Yinghong Overseas Chinese Tea Farm where he is located was once the largest farm for resettling returning overseas Chinese.
In the film, Wenli Huang attempts to convey the character's past memories and complex emotions through visual and auditory language, with minimal dialogue. He aims to express a theme through a story of love and loneliness, "Time is not omnipotent. Some pains do not fade with time, but we must learn to coexist with them."
Still from "How Can I Rid My Mind of Her"
In April this year, "How Can I Rid My Mind of Her" was selected for the screening section of the 46th Moscow International Film Festival , where it held two screenings and post-show exchanges in Moscow, marking its world premiere. In August, the film was also selected for the main competition section of the 8th 86358 Jia Village Short Film Week . Additionally, "How Can I Rid My Mind of Her" has been selected for the Chongqing Youth Film Festival 's "International Communication Plan " short film competition section and is scheduled to have its first screening in Chongqing in late October.
Still from "How Can I Rid My Mind of Her"
The Maritime Guangdong Program is a large-scale talent support initiative hosted by the Yangcheng Evening News Group, aimed at discovering, incubating, selecting, and nurturing outstanding young Chinese directors at home and abroad. The program is based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and seeks to find new forces in the field of image creation globally, supporting them in exploring various types of short films such as drama, documentary, and animation. It encourages them to break through and expand their imagination for the future of Chinese image culture, allowing the world to rediscover China through images.
Source : Lingnan on the Cloud
山海计划短片《海水泡的茶是什么味道》将亮相日本札幌国际短片电影节
由山海计划青年导演黄文礼执导的短片《海水泡的茶是什么味道》（2023）入围第19届札幌国际短片电影节国际竞赛单元，将于10月中旬在日本首次放映。黄文礼及其作品在本次电影节中从来自全球的2058份参赛作品中脱颖而出，成为唯二入围的中国导演及中国影片。
札幌国际短片电影节( Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market ) 是日本和亚洲最大、最具权威和影响力的短片电影节之一，受到加拿大影视奖（Canadian Screen Award Qualifying）等多项认证，是亚洲跨国电影展示的中心舞台，每年吸引2800至3500个不同类型的作品参展。第19届札幌国际短片电影节将于2024年10月11日至14日举行。
《海水泡的茶是什么味道》由“向山海走去”青年导演创作扶持计划（简称山海计划）扶持拍摄，全片主要在广东英德英红镇红旗茶厂取景，讲述一位失去爱人的越南归侨采茶工阿建与人生伤痛挣扎缠斗的故事。
黄文礼在广东出生长大，对家乡的侨文化和华人华侨故事一直很感兴趣，最终他找到“难侨”这个独特的切入点进行短片创作。“难侨”指的是在国外遭受战争、天然灾害或人为迫害的侨胞，片中主人公阿建便是一名上世纪七十年代从越南归来的难侨，其在片中所处的英红华侨茶场曾是全国安置归国难侨最多的华侨农场。
在影片中，黄文礼试图在只用少量台词交代必要信息的前提下，尽量依靠视听语言营造充足氛围，将人物的过往记忆和复杂情感呈现到位。他想通过一个关于爱与孤独的故事，表达一个主题：“时间并不是万能的。有些伤痛并不会随着时间而消逝，但我们要学会如何与伤痛共存。”
今年4月，《海水泡的茶是什么味道》入围第46届莫斯科国际电影节展映单元，在莫斯科举行了两场放映和映后交流活动，完成世界首映。8月，该片入围第8届86358贾家庄短片周主竞赛单元。此外，《海水泡的茶是什么味道》还入围了重庆青年电影展“国际传播计划”短片竞赛单元，将于10月下旬在重庆首次放映。
山海计划是由羊城晚报报业集团主办的对海内外优秀华人青年导演进行挖掘、孵化、选拔和培养的大型人才扶持活动。活动立足粤港澳大湾区，面向全球寻找影像创作领域的新锐力量，支持他们探索剧情、纪录、动画等不同类型的短片创作，突破和展开对未来华语影像文化的想象之路，也让世界通过影像重新发现中国。
文 |詹锡伟
图 | 受访者提供
翻译 | 史洋溢
英文审校 | 林佳岱