52nd edition of New Directors/New Films
Festival&Award
Anshan Diaries
鞍山日记
CHINA | 2021 | 27min | SHORT | DOCUMENTARY
Director: Charles Xiuzhi Dong
Producer: Branton Choi; Charles Xiuzhi Dong
Cinematographer: Charles Xiuzhi Dong
Editor: Bowei Yue; Charles Xiuzhi Dong
Sound Designer: Biwan Cai
Music: Alexander Symcox
导演：董秀智
制片：蔡子蘅、董秀智
摄影指导：董秀智
剪辑：董秀智 岳博维
声音设计：蔡碧湾
音乐：Alexander Symcox
Synopsis
Anshan Diaries uses a real family's life as its backdrop. Director Charles Xiuzhi Dong casts his grandpa, the revolutionaries of the left wing, as the film's lead, investigating and retracing his family saga spanning three decades of Chinese post-cultural revolution history.
Director's Note
As the grandson of the subjects, I felt an innate responsibility to make this film.
When I recorded the first shot, which incidentally is the beginning of the film, the thought of making this into a film never crossed my mind. A year later, I got bored and looked over the hours of random footage I shot at my grandparent’s home.
It moved me to tears. It was then that I decided I could make this into a film, forming a storyline that would tell my grandparent’s story, from their poor upbringings to their glory days to their eventual downfall. I see light in their eyes every time they talk about the past.
Festival&Award
Student Academy Awards - Finalists
Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival
SHORT DOCS 2022
Doc Edge Festival
Official Selection 2022
San Francisco International Film Festival
Official Selection 2022
Beijing International Short Film Festival
Official Selection 2022
NEW ERA NEW WAVE
Main Competition 2022
Charles DONG
Charles Xiuzhi Dong is an award-winning director, based in Los Angeles. graduated from the NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. He accpeted a directing fellowship from the American Film Institute in 2020. His short films screened at numerous film festivals. Namely, After Class (2020): Santa Barbara, Oberhausen, and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia: winning Best Short Award. Anshan Diaries (2021) was a finalist for the Student Academy Awards and the Golden Horse Awards which premiered at the 65th San Fransisco International Film Festival. His latest film Langue premiered at the Palm Springs International Shortfest and was a Semi-finalist for the Student Academy Awards.
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