My family tree Producer/Director/Camera/Editing: Yang Pingdao
Length: 279 min.
Production Year: 2008
About the filmFrom generation to generation, the two families of my parents live respectively in the western area of Guangdong, in two villages which are not far away from each other. The generation of my grandparents relied on the land to support about ten children. The two families visited each other frequently, especially during the Spring Festival. At the initial stage of reform and opening-up, some of the family members moved out of the small town and got rid of the rural household register. With the process of urbanization, a younger generation have entered the city
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My family tree Producer/Director/Camera/Editing: Yang Pingdao
Length: 279 min.
Production Year: 2008
About the filmFrom generation to generation, the two families of my parents live respectively in the western area of Guangdong, in two villages which are not far away from each other. The generation of my grandparents relied on the land to support about ten children. The two families visited each other frequently, especially during the Spring Festival. At the initial stage of reform and opening-up, some of the family members moved out of the small town and got rid of the rural household register. With the process of urbanization, a younger generation have entered the city and rooted there. They’ve become city residents, some even emigrated. Along with the social change, the large family which once lived altogether in the ancient house, has now separated far and near. Most of them earn money outside the hometown. Only the elderly and the children stay at home. Their living conditions also differ in thousands ways:
Those in village are still hard up, and live a monotonous life. Grandma? who indulges in the past, often cries. Father has passed away for eight years. Mother, who bears the heavy burden of the family all alone, has ushered her first granddaughter. But the language barrier has led to the conflicts between her and her daughter-in law. The young generations who have taken root in cities and become a middle class live a stable life, but they also have their own troubles. Aunt’s little son knows little about getting along with others. He’s over 30 years old and still not married, which worries the whole family. The family takes every chance to look for suitable girl for him, but the young girls all work outside the hometown. Even during the Spring Festival, they come back for only several days. This year, we’re going to clean out the grave of my father. Eight years has passed, his grave is now choked with weeds. It’s hard to confirm where his grave is. My younger brother has got a daughter. On the wedding ceremony of him and his wife, the two families of my parents finally took a flesh cocktail again after a decade, all the people, old and new. But someone is missed now.
Over the 30 year’s reform and opening-up, the society has been changing rapidly and the process of urbanization has been taking place at a high speed. The ecology and the value of the agricultural society have been rent by disunity. Anyway, for the ordinary people, the most important thing is to be alive.
Director’s Statement:In old days, a lot of families have their own family tree as a proof of proliferation and lineage. Nowadays, it’s more direct viewing to record the family life by optical images, which occurs me the idea of making my own family tree by images to make the future generations able to see their ancestors directly.
I want to show the family affections, life, as well as the irresistible changes which are brought by the social development in this documentary. Over the 30 years’ reform and opening-up, with the large-scale urbanization, the ecology and the value of the agricultural society have been rent by disunity. In the context, families may gradually enter the cities, take root there, or they may return: passively drifting and learning to live under all circumstances.
Festivals and awards:1,Beijing Independent Film.. Festival(BIFF2008)
2, Yunnan multi culture visual festival 2009 Jury's special mention award
3,Chinese Independent Film Archive, Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, CIFA--augural exhibition 2009 "What Has Been Happening Here?"
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