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Brothers gain indie film fame against Hangzhou's backdrop
By Shi Xiaohan |
August 24, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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THREE brothers from southern Fujian Province set up their film studio in Hangzhou in 2007 after the oldest brother, Xiang Qiuliang, graduated from the China Academy of Art. After four years of independent film experiments, the brothers last weekend premiered their new film and showed off the progress they had made on their unique path.
The three brothers, who grew up sharing a love for art and film, all have their unique roles in the enterprise. Xiang Qiuliang, born in 1985, is the initiator of the enterprise and the director of all the films. Xiang Hesheng, born in 1987, is the scriptwriter while the youngest, Xiang Shuiliu, born in 1989, is the cinematographer.
While Xiang Qiuliang and Xiang Shuiliu are both art graduates from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Xiang Hesheng spent his studies away from art. He considered art too costly for his moderate family background. Though he graduated as an electronic engineer, Xiang Hesheng found his life path eventually converging with that of his brothers after graduation thanks to his strong interest in creative writing.
Contrary to most art students in China who are from relatively well-off families, the brothers actually grew up in the underprivileged rural area of southern China. On the one hand, their parents had to work harder to finance their sons' artistic pursuit. On the other hand, the brothers had to balance their artistic interest with their family duties.
"My parents supported me because they thought I could be a great painter one day. So when I started painting, I was exempted from the family duties like farming. So the burden fell on my brothers," said Xiang Qiuliang. "But later on I helped out with my brother's art studies."
Another love of the brothers during their childhood was watching Hong Kong-made gangster films. Apart from the thrilling gun fights, they were also exposed to unique story-telling styles. Compared to most Chinese mainland productions, Hong Kong films focus on exploring the subtle sentiments of a role and expressing the multiple faces of human nature.
"That was why we fell in love with movies. We found unlimited mystery and wonder in the films," said Xiang Hesheng.
Though none of them received professional cinematic training, the sharp artistic sense they gained from their art studies has provided them with advantages as well as a unique style. "We are the unique group, so we don't mind making movies in an unorthodox way," said Xiang Qiuliang.
The brothers started by shooting films expressing their personal feelings. Though primitive, the beautiful pictures quickly attracted a group of loyal fans online. Then they carried onto making documentaries and made a film about the legendary tale of how one of their relatives became the bodyguard of Chiang Kai-shek, former leader of Kuomingtang.
From 2009 onwards they started making movies like "Summer" and "One Day, The Moment," which integrated their art talents with more complicated plots. Last Saturday, their new romantic comedy "King of Couriers" premiered and contains satire and social criticism.
"As new hands, we have been quite productive," said Xiang Qiuliang. "I think it is because we started as amateurs and have nothing to risk, so we do not hesitate experimenting and taking action."
Their first romance film, "Summer," took the brothers a week to write and half a month to shoot.
With too limited a budget to afford professional actors, director Xiang Qiuliang has developed a unique way to find and interact with his semi-professional actors. "It is not easy to find a suitable actor. I usually wait at the gates or in the canteens of art schools for weeks. Even though I find someone who fits the pictures in my brain ideally, my offers are mostly turned down," Xiang said.
But these painstakingly found actors and actresses are not told much about their roles or the whole story when they start working. Instead, Xiang tells them exactly what to do or look like in a scene in detail.
"I actually found the less they know about their roles, the less they try to 'act' and the better they realize the picture in my head. It gives the viewers an accurate picture and which helps them grab the logic of the story," Xiang Qiuliang explained.
The brothers have been supporting their independent film experiments by shooting commercials. With their well-received works, the brothers have received many merger offers from some giants in the industry. But after some consideration, they have turned down all the offers.
"We are still growing up, so we want more time and space to explore our own style and uniqueness instead of quickly being commercialized," Xiang Qiuliang explained.
The three brothers, who grew up sharing a love for art and film, all have their unique roles in the enterprise. Xiang Qiuliang, born in 1985, is the initiator of the enterprise and the director of all the films. Xiang Hesheng, born in 1987, is the scriptwriter while the youngest, Xiang Shuiliu, born in 1989, is the cinematographer.
While Xiang Qiuliang and Xiang Shuiliu are both art graduates from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Xiang Hesheng spent his studies away from art. He considered art too costly for his moderate family background. Though he graduated as an electronic engineer, Xiang Hesheng found his life path eventually converging with that of his brothers after graduation thanks to his strong interest in creative writing.
Contrary to most art students in China who are from relatively well-off families, the brothers actually grew up in the underprivileged rural area of southern China. On the one hand, their parents had to work harder to finance their sons' artistic pursuit. On the other hand, the brothers had to balance their artistic interest with their family duties.
"My parents supported me because they thought I could be a great painter one day. So when I started painting, I was exempted from the family duties like farming. So the burden fell on my brothers," said Xiang Qiuliang. "But later on I helped out with my brother's art studies."
Another love of the brothers during their childhood was watching Hong Kong-made gangster films. Apart from the thrilling gun fights, they were also exposed to unique story-telling styles. Compared to most Chinese mainland productions, Hong Kong films focus on exploring the subtle sentiments of a role and expressing the multiple faces of human nature.
"That was why we fell in love with movies. We found unlimited mystery and wonder in the films," said Xiang Hesheng.
Though none of them received professional cinematic training, the sharp artistic sense they gained from their art studies has provided them with advantages as well as a unique style. "We are the unique group, so we don't mind making movies in an unorthodox way," said Xiang Qiuliang.
The brothers started by shooting films expressing their personal feelings. Though primitive, the beautiful pictures quickly attracted a group of loyal fans online. Then they carried onto making documentaries and made a film about the legendary tale of how one of their relatives became the bodyguard of Chiang Kai-shek, former leader of Kuomingtang.
From 2009 onwards they started making movies like "Summer" and "One Day, The Moment," which integrated their art talents with more complicated plots. Last Saturday, their new romantic comedy "King of Couriers" premiered and contains satire and social criticism.
"As new hands, we have been quite productive," said Xiang Qiuliang. "I think it is because we started as amateurs and have nothing to risk, so we do not hesitate experimenting and taking action."
Their first romance film, "Summer," took the brothers a week to write and half a month to shoot.
With too limited a budget to afford professional actors, director Xiang Qiuliang has developed a unique way to find and interact with his semi-professional actors. "It is not easy to find a suitable actor. I usually wait at the gates or in the canteens of art schools for weeks. Even though I find someone who fits the pictures in my brain ideally, my offers are mostly turned down," Xiang said.
But these painstakingly found actors and actresses are not told much about their roles or the whole story when they start working. Instead, Xiang tells them exactly what to do or look like in a scene in detail.
"I actually found the less they know about their roles, the less they try to 'act' and the better they realize the picture in my head. It gives the viewers an accurate picture and which helps them grab the logic of the story," Xiang Qiuliang explained.
The brothers have been supporting their independent film experiments by shooting commercials. With their well-received works, the brothers have received many merger offers from some giants in the industry. But after some consideration, they have turned down all the offers.
"We are still growing up, so we want more time and space to explore our own style and uniqueness instead of quickly being commercialized," Xiang Qiuliang explained.
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