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Wellspring

Sha Qing

Release year: 2002

Run time: 49 mins

Film type: Documentary

Synopsis

Lei Xiguan has had cerebral palsy since early childhood, and communicates with others using his foot. Far from being shut off from the love of his family, however, he in fact seems to experience greater warmth and joy of family life than do most healthy children. Cut off from society and from people in general, however, and having to witness the suffering of their child, their own flesh and blood, the despair of his peasant parents begins to grow.

As their child's sickness worsens, they reject the advice of others around them to just give up on him in order to release him from suffering. Instead, they choose to stay and bear with their child, together by his side.

This film does not aim to solely portray the difficulties that these people face. Moreover, I hope to have captured the strength, perseverance, pride and above all, beauty with which they lead their lives. It is as though the wellspring of their heart never dries up. It is a supreme joy of life inspiring life, which neither poverty, sickness nor death can come close to taking away.

 

Director biography

Sha Qing was born in Beijing in 1965. He started filmmaking as a sound recordist and editor for various documentaries. His debut film Wellspring was completed in 2002. He finished Fading Reflections in 2010, which is redeveloped into his new feature film Lone Existence (2016).

Awards:

  • 2003 The Best Film, the 1st Yunnan Multiculture Visual Festival
  • 2003 The Ogawa Shinsuke Prize, 18th Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
  • 2004 Silver Prize in the “Comptition internationale” SRG SSR de Suisse, the 35th Visions du Reel International Film Festival, Switzerland
  • 2004 Best International Documentary (Short to Mid-Length), the 12th Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival