Taiwan’s cutting edge director: Hsieh Chun-yi – Life is not Short!
Selected official screening from 40 countries and 2,800 entries in this year’s Tribeca Film Festival’s Short Film category is Taiwan’s cutting edge director: Hsieh Chun-yi. The outstandingly creative and moving film is now screening!
The film begins with a juxtaposition of life and death. The carcass of a cat in the cluttered warehouse versus the weak calls of the kitten in the film, a struggling, depressed and helpless widower faced with the innocence of his daughter…
The question that cutting edge director, Hsieh Chun-yi poses through his film: Braid is “What is of utmost importance in life?” This film was officially selected by the Tribeca Film Festival for screening out of 2,800 entries from 40 countries in the short films category. It is the only Taiwanese entry.
The power of emotive imagery.
Chun-yi was faced with the same dilemma as many young Taiwanese, uninterested in his studies and unsure of his direction in life just before serving the Army however, the photo book of Zhang Yi-mou’s Happy Times inspired him. Chun-yi then started his career in the film industry as a production assistant in the production company of Chang Tso-chi. He started by doing odd jobs, making props and Boom Operator in which led to his promotion of an Assistant Director.
Through practical hands on experience, Chun-yi became very familiar with the processes involved in making films and what goes on in a film set. This further affirmed Chun-yi’s passion in making films and it was then that Chun-yi decided to take the leap of faith. He enrolled and was accepted into the Graduate Film Program of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Asia.
Braid is the third short film that Chun-yi has made. Prior to Braid, Joyce Agape is a short film about the passion which some wheel chair bound athletes in Taiwan have for life. Toy Man is a film about the love a father has for his family and child. Through his films, Chun-yi tackles the social issues in a comforting and heartwarming manner despite the depressing nature of the subject matter. Chun-yi’s ability in casting and usage of non-actors in some of his films makes his films even more emotive. This is made evident in the performance of the actors in his film Braid.
Chun-yi is inspired by Vittorio De Sica’s Ladri de biciclette. The film illustrates the process of how a boy’s imagery of his father is destroyed and thereafter, the eventual forgiveness of his father. Comprising a cast of non-professional actors, locations used in the film and the usages of natural light in the film have all asserted a great influence in film history. French Film theorist, Andre Bazin describes this artistic form as being “full of love and warmth toward humanity”. Chun-yi is an admirer and a follower of this artistic expression.
Braid premieres in Taiwan from 20 – 28 August, 2011 at the Garmalan International Film Festival. From there, the film would then be submitted into a French short film festival. Telling a moving story in 2,400 seconds, life is definitely not short for cutting edge filmmaker, Hsieh Chun-yi. More will follow in the days to come.
The original article appeared in TW Creative.
Translation by Timothy Tan
