Life of Guangzhou - Sapphire Image Salon 2008 (Nov. 16)

Time: 2008-11-16
Venue: Sapphire Art Space

Sapphire Image Salon Scheduled for Second Half of 2008

11:00 Big Family
Country of Production: China
Commentary Language: Guangxi dialect
Subtitle: Chinese, English
Running Time: 82 min
Year of Production: 2005

The family of the Zhou's I s known to al lot many people in the village.

Since 1775, the Zhou's has experienced two times of flourishing in population –four generations living together. Being the master of a big family like that, Zhou Zhi ruled his family strictly following the handed-down "hereditary instruction". He used to decide and act arbitrarily in the family.

During the 80's of last century, Zhou Zhi, made himself a rich man out of the others by running a brickyard. Later Zhou Zhi contracted for 20 hectares deserted hills to plant fruit. For many reasons, he ran into a debt of dozens of thousand Yuan, and the family therefore was set in great financial difficulty, following which, a series of latent family conflicts were also brought out. Not able to endure the bad temper of Zhou Zhi, his eldest daughter-in-law demanded to quit from the big family.

To uphold the parents' pride, the eldest daughter made herself trapped in an empty marriage which was arranged by her parents more than ten years ago. Unable to stick it any longer, the eldest daughter who had been considered more than obedient lighted the biggest explosion within the family. Quarrels frequently occurred between the couple of the second daughter during the days of planting fruits on the desert4ed hills. She showed her dissatisfaction to the husband's being so incapable by running away from home. While the third daughter, the best educated one among the families, close a totally different way of living. For all the time, Zhou Zhi himself had been managing to keep the integrity of the big family. The love between families, couples and friends that rose from the family storms is really worth a taste with care.

14:30 Shelter
Country of Production:China
Running Time: 52 min
Commentary Language: Chinese
Subtitle: Chinese and English
Date of Production: 2006
Date of First Release: Nov 2006
Author: Sarah Zheng, Lin Li
Technical Advisor: Xiaoxia Li, Holly Chen, Qi Zhou
Director:Lin Li, Sarah Zheng

A catastrophic flood left nearly 30 families homeless in Xiayuan Village. Villager Li Chengliang's family was one of them. The disaster put the already impoverished families into even more straitened circumstances. But Li Chengliang and his wife, temporarily staying under the roof of other unaffected villagers, began a long way full of hardship like other victims to rebuild their homes.

To raise enough money, they tried every means and every effort, but to no avail. At the same time, money for food, for their kids' tuition fee and daily necessities was also a big problem these homeless villagers had to face...Difficulties and heavy life pressure were driving them to give up their hope. But to Chinese farmers, a house of their own is essential to their lives. So they were still trying very hard. In order to own a house as early as possible, Li's wife Ah Xiang left home looking for work elsewhere.

C.V.of Directors:

Sarah Zheng joined Guangzhou TV as a director in 1994. Her key works include "The Racer", “The German Lad at the New Airport", "The Cantonese Away from Home", "Anecdotes of Southern China", "A Bridge of Love" and "My Home in China". She won Second Prize at the Guangdong Provincial Foreign Publicity TV Programs Gold Magpie Awards and a Second Prize of the Guangzhou Foreign Publicity TV Programs Awards. And the TV documentary The Racer, which entered the 3rd China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Film Festival, Doc Talk Canada, Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, Brooklyn International Film Festival and Leipzip International Documentary Film Festival, was nominated at the Brooklyn Film Festival and awarded the First-class Prize of 2005 Social Programs of Selective Campaign, Association of Radio & Television China.

Li Lin joined GZTV in 2001 and has since worked as a director. The major works she produced include: Cowboy in Shuangxi Town, The Cantonese Far from Home, The Flower Grower & the Seller, The Korean Girl Learning to Cook Cantonese Dishes, and A Bridge of Love. She was awarded with the third-class prize at the Guangdong Provincial Foreign Publicity TV Programs Gold Magpie Award, the first-class prize from the National Trans-regional Report Award, and the second-class prize from the Guangzhou Radio & TV Social-Educational News Award.