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數星星的夜
One Night I Count the Stars (In Production)
The first time I encountered 16mm filmmaking was in a class at Northwestern University,and it’s totallly feels amazing to use the Bolex H16 and ARRI SR2. I still remember the feeling when I first saw the Bolex. I was amazed by the exquisite design of the machine, especially when holding it in my hands. It felt not just like a camera, but also a piece of art, as exquisite as the most renowned Swiss watches. After graduating from Northwestern, I was fortunate enough to acquire an almost brand new Bolex H16 Rex5 at a reasonable price. Then I began to contemplate the kinds of projects I could complete with this machine.
I've always been interested in North Korea, a mysterious neighbor with a long border with China. Especially since the pandemic, North Korea has suspended tourism, making it impossible for outsiders to glimpse this enigmatic country. By this year (2024), it has been more than three years since their lockdown, leaving us unaware of the real living conditions of the people inside North Korea. This sparked my idea of filming in North Korea. I remember after the screening of my graduation thesis in 2023, a student, who seemed to be Korean, came to talk to me about my short film. I told him that I wanted to make a film about North Korea, and he was greatly shocked.
I began searching online for visual materials related to North Korea. I wanted to understand from what perspectives or locations people typically film North Korea. Unfortunately, most of these materials are news reports, often focused on political and diplomatic issues like "North Korean missile launches," and rarely depict the everyday lives of ordinary North Koreans. Additionally, most of the available materials are quite dated. However, I did come across many short videos on social media, seemingly shot by tourists from a city in China called Tumen. These videos captured North Korea's "Namyang City" on the opposite side. The footage showed North Korean workers busy with farm work, school children, and young people playing and frolicking. I was immediately captivated by these scenes. I then began researching the city of Tumen and learned that they had built a viewing platform to promote tourism, allowing visitors to gaze into North Korea. There were even one-on-one guided tour services, and before the pandemic, it was possible to apply for a day trip to Namyang City in North Korea. Thus, I decided to choose Tumen City as my filming location.
The landing at Yanji Airport is quite special because it is a dual-use airport for both military and civilian purposes. Due to military secrets, the flight attendants request that we pull down the window shades before landing, preventing us from seeing the outside scenery. The plane lands in complete darkness and turbulence, making it a very unique flying experience. Upon exiting the airport, I encountered many people speaking Korean. This airport also has direct flights to Incheon Airport in South Korea, prominently displayed. Later, in conversations with locals, I learned that many young people from the local "Chaoxianzu" (ethnic Koreans) now work in South Korea because of the shared language. After driving to Tumen City, I found it to be as desolate and remote as I had imagined. It is a small border town that was reportedly bustling in the early years as a border port. However, its neighbor, North Korea, remains an increasingly backward feudal autocratic state. The years of international economic sanctions and the impact of the pandemic have left it far from its former glory.