Synopsis
Every year, on Lianzi Island in southern China, a racing competition between ‘Dragon Boats’ is held. This race boasts a long history over 2,000 years, and is the single biggest event that welcomes all islanders. This beautiful tradition, which aims to bring people together rather than focus on the competition, stands on the verge of destruction, as the island itself falls victim to the mad current of development projects sweeping this modern society. In 2003, a new university town was established nearby in Guangzhou, and re-development of the whole island followed. It meant the residents had to relocate to different places. Although the village has been turned into a urban district and their homes into a folk village resort, the people of Lianzi gather themselves once more with one purpose: to keep their tradition of Dragon Boat racing alive. They share a sense of emergency that, despite the economic wealth brought by urbanization and modernization, these trends will destroy their link with tradition, which in turn will cause panic in people's minds, and total collapse of the community. As one of the villagers tells us, harmony and solidarity among the islanders are the key to a good Dragon Boat race. That comment shows us that Chinese society today, which stands on the threshold of urbanization and globalization, is in a desperate fight to defend their traditions, so that they can preserve their human-centered communal culture. (HUH Eun-kwang)
Director
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CAO Dan1992년 광저우예술아카데미 졸업. 1998년 프랑스로 옮겨가 파리에서 영상인류학을 공부했다. 현재는 프랑스와 중국을 오가며 화가이자, 영화감독, 디자이너로 활동하고 있다.Cao Dan graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1992. She immigrated to France in 1998 and studied anthropological filmmaking in Paris. She currently divides her time between China and France and works as a painter, filmmaker and designer.
Credits
- Director, Producer CAO Dan
- Cinematographers, Editors CAO Dan, XU Huijing
- Music ZHU Fanggiong
- Sound CAO Dan, LI Xing
Production Company
- Production Company CNEX Foundation Limited
Distribution / World Sales
- Distribution / World Sales CNEX Foundation Limited
- Address 2F, Building NO1. Jing Yuan, No.3 Guangqu East Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100022 China
- Tel 86 10 6407 3571
- E-mail zhiwei@cnex.org.cn