HERE, NOHWERE (2022-2024)
--Five Faces, Five Poems,Five Trajectories in integration
20, 00''
As a Chinese photographer and artist, at 2018, I immigrated with my family from Shanghai to canton Aargau, Switzerland. As part of the immigrant community, I am also an experiencer of immigrant life and an observer of this process. Since the spring of 2022, i have invited five immigrant women around her to read poems in their mother tongue to show the hardships and joys of their new life. I use real and delicate film language to show the audience the private states of mind of these women from different cultural backgrounds, hoping that these ordinary individuals can gain the audience's understanding and respect.
This immigration journey, whether bitter or joyful, is an experience worth remembering. Where will these immigrant women go and will they be able to put down roots in this country? Will this be their last stop?
Hopefully, one day their hearts will be firmer and more peaceful, and this place, here, will no longer be a foreign country.
AGING IN TEN MINUTES (2023)
10, 00''
In the countless seconds you fell asleep
that we didn't interact
It's just me looking at you quietly for a moment
Clock ticking
By this way, you are growing up every minute
That's how I also grow old every minute
Thank you
My dearest Anna
LONGCHANG APARTMENT (2014)
9,21''
The black-and-white short film was created for an exhibition and charity auction to collect money for children of migrant workers in Shanghai who need eye disease treatment. Jazz musician Jasmine Chen plays and improvises on the piano. During the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the film was accompanied by live piano performance.
Inspired by the unique architectural structure of Longchang Apartment in Yangpu District in Shanghai and the lifestyle of its neighbors, the photographer tries to capture the beauty of the old days with delicate and sensitive life details.
Building Number 362 Longchang Road in Yangpu district, Shanghai, is called Longchang Apartment. Longchang Apartment was built in the 1920’ and was designed by a British architect. Before liberation (the forming of PRC), it was the police station of Shanghai. After the liberation it became the family compound for the Yangpu Branch of the Public Security Bureau.
This apartment complex is a Roman coliseum-looking square-shaped compound with 5 story buildings surrounding a spacious courtyard in the middle. It used to house over 250 families. Each story of the building has a long public corridor, behind the corridor are various sized dwellings. Many residents also built rooms in the hallways. Every evening the compound becomes very lively. Everyone in the building can hear if you talk loudly. All the household chores like doing laundry, washing vegetables, cooking dinner etc. are moved out to be done in the corridors. The sound of kids crying, people arguing and laughter fill the air and pots and pans fill up the compound.
In 2004, it was registered as an immovable cultural (historic) relic.
FEET STORY (2012)
11,26''
This is the story of a woman who was staying at my place for a couple of days through Airbnb. At the time she was 61 years old. Her name is Kat and she is from South Africa. As an independent woman and single mother, her life experiences gave me a lot of inspiration and strength.
