For the director, just like the other filmmakers in this project, it was her first visit to China. That is why she chose a kind of fairytale, since for her a fairytale has universal elements that bridge cultural differences.
The film is relatively improvised, occasionally using documentary techniques, yet it turns out to be an distinctive piece of fiction. The protagonist of the story is the nine-year-old boy Peng Lui Wei. He is the firefly. Luckily, this character was written for the real Peng Lui Wei, so he could play himself. The firefly was a kind of action hero who had to perform tasks and asked different people for advice. In this way, the crew could follow him to all nooks and crannies of the artist village Songzhuang, where the film was shot.
The filmmaker took advantage of the opportunity to experiment with several cameras, including the much-talked about Canon 5D, but also using old-fashioned 8mm material.
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Film details
- Countries of production
- China, Uganda
- Year
- 2011
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2011
- Length
- 16"
- Medium/Format
- Betacam SP
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