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Shang'ajia

Jin Jiang

Release year: 2018

Run time: 96 mins

Film type: Documentary

Synopsis

This documentary is about the life of two Lisu brothers who live on the Biluo mountain where Nujiang River passes. The elder brother, Cilihua, is 17 years old and the younger one, Jialihua is 10. Their father died when the younger brother was only six months. Their mother remarried and settled at the foot of the mountain, leaving the boys to her mother and brother. There is no school on the mountain and the kids spend their time shouldering the family chores. Even with the misfortune and hardship, simple happiness is never far from their life.

 

Director biography

Jin Jiang, artist and filmmaker, born in Luoyang, 1989. Jin dropped from school when he was in senior grade 2. He worked as DJ, sound mixer, and fried chicken shop owner. In his leisure time, he works as an artist. He does painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and performance art video. In 2013, Jin had his art show “Land of Hope.” In 2014, Jin started his filmmaking career as cinematographer and editor. Shang’ajia is Jin's first film working as a film director.

Director's statement

I learned from news in 2012 that such a group of people were living in a mountain so I remembered it. I had nothing to do in July, 2016,so I was available enough time to go to Yunnan, paying them a visit and also checking if I can do documentary there . I spent one week looking for them, and then tried shooting some videos. Well, it seemed pretty good; I thought it could be a good documentary so I kept on working and then finished it