BLOCK 4 Subtitle Sessions – Powerful foreign language shorts 59min
In the Qin Dynasty, the warrior, Flying Arrow (Jason Lai), and the princess, Clear Clouds, (Sarah Lee) must face separation and sacrifice. Flying Arrow promises Clear Clouds that he’ll love her through multiple reincarnations. The two young lovers yearn for a future that is not tangible. In the present day, a tried and tested older couple, Claire (Grace McAlister) and Aaron (Rick Lasquete), must face the intimidating loss that comes with Claire’s late-stage Alzheimer’s and they yearn for a past that doesn't exist anymore. The lovers from different lifetimes are determined to prove their love, not knowing their lives are intertwined.
- Runtime7 min 18 sec
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- NoteSan Francisco, CA; Director Biography - Leonard Chan Leonard Chan is a Chinese American filmmaker working in San Francisco. Influenced by the Hong Kong and the Taiwanese new wave film movements, he is interested in experimental and visually invigorating films that explore themes such as identity, time, and separation. Director Statement I wanted to make a short film about a promise that transcends space and time, where a promise made from a previous lifetime, is being fulfilled in the present day, and then again in the future. It is based off the Buddhist idea that our karma carries over through reincarnation. For this film, I created an atmosphere or an impression of separation and holding on. I wanted to give a glimpse of my characters before they separate. My characters live a cyclical existence where they are either physically or mentally separated, but they are tied together by their promise. This is shown in different lifetimes where the younger couple share mere minutes before they are physically separated and also with the older couple when the wife’s alzheimer’s disease separates her from her husband at any time. What connects the two couples is that they try to fulfill their promise of giving attention, time, and company to their loved one. A motif is the paper crane. In Chinese culture, a crane is a symbol of longevity. I used the paper crane as a metaphor to show my characters carrying on the life of their love from one lifetime to another. In Taoism, after a person passes away, the crane is said to carry a person’s soul to the next life. From this idea, shots of paper cranes were used as a graphic transitional element and as a metaphor to say, “we are being carried from one lifetime to the next, and the life of their promise is also being carried over.” The graphic transitional element brings us from one scene to another. As a filmmaker, I present a love story that incorporates different architecture, dresses, and themes from Asian culture. I used a Japanese teahouse to establish a scene in antiquity. The dress that the warrior and the princess wear are uniforms worn by Buddhist practitioners. Lastly, the Buddhist idea of karma is the inspiration to this story. The characters are courageous and persistent because they choose to stay with the people they love. They fulfill and honor their vow through action and intention and they carry their karma in future lives, despite separation. The cyclical nature of being together, separating, and longing is very bittersweet to me and I intend to tell more stories like this.
- DirectorLeonard Chan
BLOCK 4 Subtitle Sessions – Powerful foreign language shorts 59min
In the Qin Dynasty, the warrior, Flying Arrow (Jason Lai), and the princess, Clear Clouds, (Sarah Lee) must face separation and sacrifice. Flying Arrow promises Clear Clouds that he’ll love her through multiple reincarnations. The two young lovers yearn for a future that is not tangible. In the present day, a tried and tested older couple, Claire (Grace McAlister) and Aaron (Rick Lasquete), must face the intimidating loss that comes with Claire’s late-stage Alzheimer’s and they yearn for a past that doesn't exist anymore. The lovers from different lifetimes are determined to prove their love, not knowing their lives are intertwined.
- Runtime7 min 18 sec
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- NoteSan Francisco, CA; Director Biography - Leonard Chan Leonard Chan is a Chinese American filmmaker working in San Francisco. Influenced by the Hong Kong and the Taiwanese new wave film movements, he is interested in experimental and visually invigorating films that explore themes such as identity, time, and separation. Director Statement I wanted to make a short film about a promise that transcends space and time, where a promise made from a previous lifetime, is being fulfilled in the present day, and then again in the future. It is based off the Buddhist idea that our karma carries over through reincarnation. For this film, I created an atmosphere or an impression of separation and holding on. I wanted to give a glimpse of my characters before they separate. My characters live a cyclical existence where they are either physically or mentally separated, but they are tied together by their promise. This is shown in different lifetimes where the younger couple share mere minutes before they are physically separated and also with the older couple when the wife’s alzheimer’s disease separates her from her husband at any time. What connects the two couples is that they try to fulfill their promise of giving attention, time, and company to their loved one. A motif is the paper crane. In Chinese culture, a crane is a symbol of longevity. I used the paper crane as a metaphor to show my characters carrying on the life of their love from one lifetime to another. In Taoism, after a person passes away, the crane is said to carry a person’s soul to the next life. From this idea, shots of paper cranes were used as a graphic transitional element and as a metaphor to say, “we are being carried from one lifetime to the next, and the life of their promise is also being carried over.” The graphic transitional element brings us from one scene to another. As a filmmaker, I present a love story that incorporates different architecture, dresses, and themes from Asian culture. I used a Japanese teahouse to establish a scene in antiquity. The dress that the warrior and the princess wear are uniforms worn by Buddhist practitioners. Lastly, the Buddhist idea of karma is the inspiration to this story. The characters are courageous and persistent because they choose to stay with the people they love. They fulfill and honor their vow through action and intention and they carry their karma in future lives, despite separation. The cyclical nature of being together, separating, and longing is very bittersweet to me and I intend to tell more stories like this.
- DirectorLeonard Chan