Dialogue with Filmmakers 2016

Dialogue with Filmmakers 2016 (Recap)

In association with Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), world-renowned documentary filmmakers were invited for a series of in-depth public lectures at The University of Hong Kong in March and April of 2016. The filmmakers engaged with the public to discuss their current documentary and filmmaking insights.

Click to view event recap:

Event Photos

Kazuhiro Soda

Director of ‘OYSTER FACTORY’
Screening of ‘PEACE’ (75mins) with extended dialogue.
Moderator: Ruby Yang
Date: 23 March, 2016, 7:30p.m.
Venue: Theatre 303, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre
Conducted in English.

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Kazuhiro Soda graduated from the University of Tokyo. He moved to the US in 1993. Soda specialises in observational cinema—he believes in the power of observation. According to his ‘Ten Commandments of Observational Filmmaking’, no research, meetings with subjects or scripts should be involved: shoot alone, as far as possible.

Dialogue with Kazuhiro Soda

Interview with Kazuhiro Soda

Zhao Qing, Violet Feng

Director and Producer of ‘PLEASE REMEMBER ME‘

Fan Jian, Isabella Zang

Director and Producer of “MY LAND”

Moderator: Ruby Yang
Date: 24 March, 2016, 7:30p.m.
Venue: Theatre 303, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre
Conducted in Putonghua and English.

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Zhao Qing is a graduate of the Communication University of China. She worked in the overseas programme centre at a Shanghai television channel after her graduation, and later directed a number of documentary films including ‘Xiao Zhen Zhou Zhuang’, ‘Nu Ren Xin Si’ and ‘Bi Ye Ge’.

Violet Feng graduated from the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. She gained an Emmy Award as producer for ‘Nanking’ (2007), and has worked with numerous well-known Hollywood directors.

Fan Jian graduated from the Directing stream at the Beijing Film Academy. His film ‘Dancing in the City’ was selected by the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2006 and ‘The Next Life’, about the sorrow of parents who lost their children in the Wenchuan earthquake, was nominated for the festival in 2011. His latest film ‘My Land’ was screened in the Berlin International Film Festival.

Isabella Zang is a graduate of Chongqing Normal University and Southwest University of Political Science and Law. She was the assistant director and editor for the documentary ‘The Next Life’, and executive producer and assistant director for ‘My Land’.

Dialogue with Fan Jian, Isabella Zang, Zhao Qing & Violet Feng

Interview with Fan Jian & Isabella Zang

Interview with Zhao Qing & Violet Feng

Zhao Liang

Director of ‘BEHEMOTH‘
Moderator : David Bandurski
Date: 30 March, 2016, 7:30p.m.
Venue: Theatre 303, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre
Conducted in Putonghua.

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Zhao Liang is a graduate of the Luzan Academy of Fine Arts. He spent twelve years finishing the filming of ‘Petition’, which was selected for the special screening unit of Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Behemoth (2015) was a key competition piece of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.

Dialogue with Zhao Liang

Interview with Zhao Liang

Atsushi Funahashi

Director of ‘RAISE YOUR ARMS AND TWIST-DOCUMENTARY OF NMB48‘
Moderator : Nancy Tong
Date: 31 March, 2016, 7:30p.m.
Venue: Theatre 303, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre
Conducted in English.

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Born in Osaka, Atsushi Funahashi graduated from the University of Tokyo and studied directing at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His debut feature, ‘Echoes’ (2001), won three jury and audience awards at the Annonay International Film Festival in France. ‘Nuclear Nation’ and ‘Nuclear Nation II’ were both officially selected by the Berlin International Film Festival.

Dialogue with Atsushi Funahashi

Interview with Atsushi Funahashi

Pieter-Jan De Pue

Director of ‘LAND OF THE ENLIGHTENED‘

James Solomon

Director of ‘THE WITNESS‘

Moderator : Nancy Tong
Date: 1 April, 2016, 7:30p.m.
Venue: Theatre 303, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre
Conducted in English.

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Pieter-Jan De Pue is an independent filmmaker and photographer. While directing commercials, he was also concentrating on his first feature documentary, ‘The Land of the Enlightened’. His photographic work on Afghanistan and Central Asia has been published in Weekend Knack, Le Monde, DeMorgen, and De Standaard, and has been exhibited in several galleries and museums. ‘The Land of Enlightened’ won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Best Cinematography in Sundance Film Festival.

The award-winning screenwriter of ‘The Conspirator’, James Solomon releases his latest documentary ‘The Witness’ at the 40th HKIFF this year.