A story in three chapters, following four characters, Ripples of Life takes us to Yong’an, a small town in China where a film is being shot. A local waitress wishes she was an actress, the lead actor returns to her hometown with mixed results, and a director and screenwriter argue over the script.
The arrival of a film crew to shoot a prominent feature in the small town sends ripples not only through the village but also amongst the cast and crew. Xiao Gu is a waitress whose restaurant, owned by her in-laws, is set to host the crew, and when she attracts the attention of the director, she is both pleased, and eventually dismayed to work on the film. Chen Chen, the star, hails from Yong’an, and soon discovers that her fame is both a pleasure and a burden. Finally, the director and screenwriter, confronted with the reality of small-town life, argue about the meaning of the film. “A dexterous rumination on the pursuit of authenticity.” –John Berra, ScreenDaily
Director Biography
Shujun Wei was born and raised in Beijing, was a prominent child actor and is now a rapper (known as PUC) and filmmaker who studied sound recording at the Communication University of China. His films include the short film “On the Border” (2018) and the features Striding into the Wind (2020) and Ripples of Life (2021) which appeared at the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
Sponsors
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