Li Hongqi

In this talk, Li Hongqi reviewed his transition from fine art to cinema, and his aesthetic and philosophical exploration from his early 'So Much Rice' to recent 'The The'. Dir. Li Hongqi also shared his strong anxiety of his existence(born with melancholia), his thought on cinema art (actually, I don't think there's any movie worth making), his epistemology, his religious view, his consideration on contemporary cinema, and what he learned about living in seclusion.

This "movie" is both hysterical and silent. Although starring "real people", it is in fact an "animated film" in the true sense of the word. A "stage" pulled out by the simultaneous forces of infinite expansion and infinite collapse. Eight "puppets" pulled by the "stage". Two "puppets" with broken strings that appear and disappear. They pull each other's hair, trying to get rid of the "stage". They can't do anything. The constant repetition of frustration only strengthens their urge to get rid of the "stage". Also, although you don't need to wear any glasses, you can watch this movie as a real 3D or VR movie. Take off the "glasses" you were born with and maybe "you" can "discover" something from this "world". "A little something

This "movie" is both hysterical and silent. Although starring "real people", it is in fact an "animated film" in the true sense of the word. A "stage" pulled out by the simultaneous forces of infinite expansion and infinite collapse. Eight "puppets" pulled by the "stage". Two "puppets" with broken strings that appear and disappear. They pull each other's hair, trying to get rid of the "stage". They can't do anything. The constant repetition of frustration only strengthens their urge to get rid of the "stage". Also, although you don't need to wear any glasses, you can watch this movie as a real 3D or VR movie. Take off the "glasses" you were born with and maybe "you" can "discover" something from this "world". "A little something

The work can be seen as the answer to the question posed by the title of my first music documentary, "How Far Are We From the Madhouse?". Both films were shot suddenly. The difference between the two is: "How Far Are We From the Madhouse?" was specially made for Yang Haisong, to make up for his guilt that I never used his music even though he suggested it many times. And "Inner Ear Inflammation" is 100% black-hearted private goods. Although the filming and production were completed in a very short time, it by no means means that it was sloppy. In fact, "Inner Ear Inflammation" is by far the least regretful of all the video works I've done, including feature films.

Filming PK14's 2008 tour.

In this acclaimed absurdist comedy, bored teenagers and disillusioned adults rage at each other and the emptiness of life in frost-bitten northern China. It's the last day of winter vacation in Inner Mongolia. Four aimless adolescents enjoy their last hours of freedom drifting between the barren spaces of their small town. They make surreal visits to homes of family and friends, including an unhappy little boy who dreams of becoming an orphan to escape the tyranny of his family. A prevailing absurdity casts over their lives as they endure petty instances of bullying while arguing over the purpose of school, teenage love, and life in general. Eventually they return to the routines of school life, only to witness an epic meltdown from their teacher in the midst of a lesson. Winner of the Golden Leopard for Best Film at the Locarno Film Festival, the third film by poet-novelist Li Hongqi announces him as a major figure in China's independent cinema.