LIVES TO DEATH
Director’s Statement
I flied to Jakarta from Beijing via Guangzhou in the next month of 2002 Bali Bombings killed more than 200 persons from 22 countries. During the following two years the other sudden twice Blasts in Jakarta crossed my journey in Southeast Asia.
Until now I have been living in West Java for 6 years, these series of unexpected terror accidents shaped my life experience originated in a State running farm in China mainland as well as purified my own thoughts on humans and the world.
When I studied filmmaking in Beijing Film Academy in late 1990’s, Human nature and Truth were top issues explored in many classes despite the ruling of the world largest Communist Regime. As a independent filmmaker, making films concerned with Humanity and Reality is my consistent Ambition.
Due to its unique religion --- Hindu Buddha, Bali is distinct from the most regions of Indonesia dominated by Muslims.
So as what Balinese say: “ Java ( Main island in Indonesia ) is very complicated ! When I landed in the Heaven island in 2004, its native gentle music soften my emotions.
After sightseeing of some interests in Bali, Legian street ( Bombing location ) was converted into major shooting location of this subjective documentary, especially the Black statue enclosed with two Ruins. Although the road is both active and crowded, the isolable blast spots are still and idle. Prior to the tragedy, this area had ever been the zones of Nightclubs --- Happy Place ! The statue sculpted the full names of every victims is likely to be the logo of the street, which suggests Rising of the Fallen lives. The special mood of this space inspired my passions for shooting the earth day by day in spite of the heated weather. I proposed to achieve images offering insights into “ the Surface of Reality “.
While Framing the shots of scenes, my Handycam tended to perform the role of “ a Survivor ” more than “ the Narrator “ of this film and the wreckage was supposed to be “ Lively Actors “ rather than “ Deadly things “. Low Angle position widely used revealed the perspective of this film to convey the feeling of Mercy. Although the Narrative of this Documentary looks unemotional, I tried to create a style of camera movements, which weaves some emotions into the film’s Rhythm. So the motivation of camerawork is not “ Observation the Death ”, but “ Touching the Lives “.
Last year’s fall, I initiated this film’s editing procedures based Apple’s Final Cut Studio 2. It took one month of capturing raw material of 240 minutes to get preferred moments of meaningful. Cutting piece by piece into rhythmic flows of scenes is my creative process, which reveals time and space bit by bit. Since the theme of this film is “ LIFE “, Relating sequences of Memorial to other ones of Lively things scenes comes to be the main consideration of editing footage. The conflict between Westerns and Extreme Muslims is a different issue, meanwhile it is just what I want to moderate as much as possible in this film. This documentary purposes to stand at the level of All Human beings of the world, While not stay at the status of clashes of religions, races. So structuring the film mostly emerges from the juxtaposition of scenes of lives and destruction.
Due to creating the cycles of tension and release, many other scenes off Legian Street : Kuta Beach, Temple, Praying, Coffee plant and Roast, Kids playing ...... are counterpointed by the ones of Paying tribute and the Ruins. With the progression of time, the frames of shots within this film are gradually loosen, this development of vision what I tried aspires the release of emotions by this way.
With regard to the particular atmosphere of this film, the sound design tends to be noiseless and mild.
Except for the FX which intensifies the mood of bombing , other sounds in sync with images derive from live locations.
What I prefer is as softhearted, smooth and natural as the music of Bali, which may weave tributes into the “ Land of Happiness “ and devote the endless love to “ the people in Paradise “ !
http://www.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php?m=246&c=3&id_film=100082013&o=177
Changfu Zhang
Jakarta, July 16 2009
Golden tiger pictures 2009 Production
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