Mon Feb 24 2020 – 7:30 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Fri Feb 28, 2020 – 2:30 pm | Domenico’s

Feelings To Tell

Directed by Wen Li
Narrative Feature
China | 79 min | 2018

After falling into sleep, Jiang, a young painter, finds himself in a Taogu village where he meets a mute girl, Jiu’er and her foster father Old Bai who believed firmly in ancient Xiangchu gods. As an observer and participant of the dream, the veneration they showed to the gods deeply touched Jiang. When Jiang witnessed the deep affection from his grandfather showed to his grandmother, he felt more puzzled over the fact that his parents had torn the last veil of hypocrisy and wished to get rid of the perplexities of real life. For the second time when Jiang entered into Taogu Mountain and re-acquainted with Old Bai and Jiu’er, he found that this was a mystic domain of reversed time. Jiu’er’s age means she will soon become a ‘mountain goddess’ and must be taken away…

We follow our protagonists as they develop a resistance strategy that matches the level of their opponents – taking their effort to South America, Europe and beyond. Their task is to make local battles an International concern and finally expose criminal corporations responsible for serious crimes. Our protagonists participate in the creation of alliances with communities in Latin America – the Global Alliance For The Rights Of Nature – the Indigenous Women Treaty and a renewable energy network bringing solar power to Indigenous communities.

Our film invites white and privileged people to follow the call from Indigenous communities. The direct relation between man and nature presents itself as a way out of our colonial imprint and begin the journey towards rediscovering our natural roots. Our film postulates that Indigenous people are facing the same challenge as all of us. The destruction of natural environments causes a disconnection because nature is no longer safe to inhabit. Our film promotes an intercultural dialogue by showing how non-Indigenous and Indigenous people come together (as shown during the “Cowboys and Indian Alliance” in Washington, the “People’s Climate March” in New York, the “Healing Walk” in Northern Alberta and the COP21 in Paris).

~Sophie & Clement Guerra

Feelings To Tell | Wen Li, director

Wen Li
Director

Wen Li, Young female director, born in China, has studied painting since childhood. She graduated with a BFA from Central Academy of Fine Arts and MFA from School of Visual Arts. In 2012, Her thesis work FERRY won The Third Prize of Graduated Design of CAFA. In 2016, her short film WATER GHOST won the Gold Prize of CAFA Agnès Varda’s Award, The New Force Prize of Toronto China-West Filmmakers Alliance, Gold

Remi Award of Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, the Second Prize of Best Documentary in FICAE Film Festival, and the nominee of Competition Documentary Short Film in Cinquest Film Festival. Besides, the work also went to several international film festivals. In October 2018, her debut feature film FEELINGS TO TELL was premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in London, UK.

Film Information

Director: Wen Li
Country: China
Year: 2018
Language: Chinese
Runtime: 79 min.
Rated: R

Credits

Producer: Wen Li
Writer: Fei Xiang, Wen Li
Key Cast: Jialei fan, Mochen Wang Yuan, Shunlin Wu
DOP: Kai Guo
Art Direction, Costume Design: Xiaolu Wu
Sound: Guodong Zhang
Editor: Wen Li
Sound Design: Guodong Zhang
Music: Mingyu Zhou

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Principal Cast

BIFF - Beloit International Film Festival
BIFF | Beloit International Film Festival