Short but sweet: films capture Minhang’s essence
Print Edition
A short film competition, under the theme of “Beautiful Shanghai and Charming Minhang,” began last month and is now soliciting entries.
The competition, organized by the Minhang Literature and Art Association and the Shanghai Film Critics Academy, is aimed at showcasing talent in the increasingly popular genre of short films.
As the theme suggests, the contest also seeks to promote the image of the district.
Short films, aided by modern digital cameras and online platforms, provide a medium for professional and amateur filmmakers and actors to display their talents at a fraction of the cost of a full-blown movie.
Minhang officials have also found short films a useful platform for promoting the district’s economic interests.
One case in point is the 11-minute film “Youth Matters.”
The film, produced by the Tele-Magic company for the Minhang District government, starts with a group of young people in the 1960s, disembarking from a train and heading into a turbine factory to work.
After brief scenes of life and work in an era when Minhang was still an industrial and farming outpost of Shanghai, the film fast forwards to a half century later.
The young workers are now old and retired. Some have moved away; some have died. A reunion is held on the banks of the Huangpu River.
The place has changed as much as the people. Modern commercial buildings have replaced the old factories and farmlands. Minhang has taken on a whole new look.
At the end of the film, the granddaughter of one of the original group of factory friends appears at the reunion. Her grandmother, nicknamed Little Dove, died and she has come to represent her memory.
Commercial value
“It’s not a sad story,” said Song Tianlun, director of the film and a graduate of the Shanghai Theater Academy. “The granddaughter is the age of Little Dove in the 60s. So her appearance depicts youth, energy and the continuity of life.”
Old-timers still living remember the wheel factory with a sense of nostalgia.
“I was touched by the old times when our generation had to work so hard to contribute to this city,” said Gu Weizhong, 70, after viewing the short film online. “Minhang had certainly become beautiful. We are so proud of it.”
In the film, today’s Hongqiao Commercial area, international schools and the Zizhu High Technology Developing Park stand in contrast with the old-style bicycles, vintage lunch boxes and ramshackle workshops of the 60s.
The film is a kaleidoscope of the rapid economic transformation that Minhang has undergone.
“The film was made to promote the district,” said Guo Baoqiang, deputy director of the Minhang Economic Committee. “Initially, the idea was to attract overseas investment.”
The film, edited into Mandarin, Cantonese and English versions, is a candidate in the Chengdu International Short Film Festival. Its Mandarin version can be viewed online, at http://t.cn/zQ4InTQ.
Minhang District officials showed the film to potential investors from Hong Kong and Singapore at seminars in June. Guo said it was well received by those who viewed it.
“I think they were surprised to see such a fresh and emotional approach to commercial promotion,” Guo said. “Several real estate developers were sufficiently interested to express a desire to invest in Minhang. It was the perfect way to present the modern face of Minhang, while tracing a bit of the history and people of the district.”
The government may see short films for their promotional value, but many filmmakers are more interested in the genre for art’s sake. They see shorts as a way of expressing dreams, illuminating interesting elements of life or just having some fun.
Dream factory
Amateur community film groups are springing up, like the Short Film Dream Factory in Meilong Town.
The film group recently screened one of its short films in a center in a Meilong neighborhood.
The 10-minute film, which was untitled, documented a slice of daily life in the area. Many in the audience laughed heartily when their faces appeared.
“Most of us are retired folks living in the Luoyang neighborhood of Meilong,” said Guo Limin, organizer and art director of the film group. “We just happen to love filmmaking, and we turned our cameras on life around us.”
The group does all its own work, from preliminary scene blocking to post-production editing.
“We have a lot of fun,” Guo said. “There are so many interesting stories right here in our own neighborhood. The key is not to aim for anything too complicated, but rather to focus on colorful details. Audiences are touched to see what happens around them.”
The group has thus far produced 20 short films.
One of the most popular was “A Dog and His Mom,” which tells the stories of loving dog owners, and “True Love in Jeopardy,” which chronicled conflicts between neighbors.
Another film, “Hot Mother,” highlighted the passionate commitment of community volunteers.
For many people, becoming involved in local short-film production is both exciting and a bit daunting. Some are intimidated by the camera and have to learn to get over their inhibitions and feel relaxed with the lens.
“I am in charge of property,” said 70-year-old Li Jin proudly. “It’s my job to scout out the best locales for our filmmaking.”
He has no doubt found the perfect locations for the Dream Factory’s entries in the “Beautiful Shanghai and Charming Minhang” short film competition.
The deadline for entries is the end of November. Submissions must be original works, no longer than 10 minutes, and the title of the short must be eight words or less.
Short film competition information center
Address: 204 Xinling Rd
Tel: 3351-0606
E-mail: shwestend@163.com
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