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Director Blurs Lines: Fiction Meets Reality in 'Shanghai Daughter'
15 Feb
Summary
- Film uniquely explores China's Down to the Countryside Movement.
- Director blends fiction and documentary with non-professional actors.
- Natural environments are treated as active narrative forces.
Agnis Shen Zhongmin's debut feature, "Shanghai Daughter," offers an unconventional exploration of China's Down to the Countryside Movement. The film is set against the backdrop of southwestern rubber plantations, which the director, Agnis Shen Zhongmin, views as a "geological theater." This approach extends to its premiere in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival.
The narrative follows a Shanghai woman searching for a mysterious figure on a remote rubber plantation. Director Shen Zhongmin intentionally blurs the distinction between fiction and reality, involving non-professional performers as creative partners rather than traditional actors. She states, "To me, they were even my 'screenwriters' and my 'on-site producers.'"
Shen Zhongmin's method emerged from an improvisational search for her father's former farm residence. The natural environment, particularly the rubber trees, is not merely a backdrop but an active participant in the storytelling. She observes parallels between the lifespan of rubber trees and human youth, noting their shared impermanence.
The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, with international sales handled by Parallax Films. Shen Zhongmin hopes the premiere serves as a bridge for Chinese filmmakers to share reflections on history and subjective experiences with international audiences. The production company is Twelve Oaks Film Art.
