A Devotee to "Soul-Touching Filmmaking”: Q&A With Director Tianyi Yao Ahead of Mar 25 Camera Stylo Screening
At her home on the highest summit, Hong Feng sinks into the depths of despair. She wants to move down from the mountain so that her daughter can enroll at a better school. But her father-in-law is opposed to the idea. Despite their quarrels on the matter, she makes the move. But instead of a preposterous step forward, her future is instead marred by flood waters spilling over because of the Three Gorges Dam, an unexpected pregnancy, and China’s then rigid one-child policy. Such is the tumultuous plot of director Yao Tian’s independent film 500M800M (五百米八百米), the title for which is a reference to the young Chinese villager's trek down the mountain and her height above sea level. The director will screen the 2016 film at Camera Stylo on Mar 25 at 2.30pm before partaking in a Q&A. Ahead of the screening, Yao tells us more about the film.
In your movie 500M800M, the one-child policy impacts your protagonist’s life dramatically. What do you think about the recent change in that law?
It is a good thing that the country has now implemented a two-child policy, indicating that the original policy was problematic and worth reflecting on.
Your bio says that you “advocate the movement of Taoism, and show long-term concerns about the living conditions of people at the bottom, devoting himself to a type of soul touching film directing.” What kind of poverty or hardship did you witness that compelled you to write and direct movies about the less fortunate?
I was born in the 1980s, just in time for the strictest implantation of family planning, and I saw many families gave up having a second child for the benefit of their work.
What is the most meaningful or heartwarming feedback you’ve gotten from someone who saw one of your movies about marginalized people?
Let me put it this way: I have worked to ensure that those who have seen the film will feel the strength and tenacity of life.
What challenges did you face on set while filming this movie, and how did you overcome those difficulties?
During the shooting period, the mountain was far away. It was quite a journey to get there, and I quickly realized life was extremely inconvenient there. I really felt the difficulty of living on the mountain and that helped me understand why some of the people there seek a better life.
Yao Tian will screen his independent film 500M800M at Camera Stylo on Mar 25 at 2.30pm. Entry is free. For more information, click here.
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Photo courtesy of Camera Stylo
