ChongQing Film Festival goes "Back to Daxian"

14 Novermber 2010 ChongQing--The 4th Edition of the ChongQing Independent Film and Video Festival kicked off here today. Co-director Chen Fu pointed out the festival's commitment to supporting truly independent film in China and giving new filmmakers an opportunity to present their work. Co-director Zheng Zheng also pointed out that the festival is presenting eight truly independent feature films this year, including an independent animation production As a part of the festival's commitment to new filmmakers, this year's festival offers several showcases of student works. Participants exhibiting their works include local ChongQing students  as well as groups from Beijing, Hong Kong and Japan.The CIFVF is presented this year in cooperation with Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema  http://www.netpacasia.org/2010/index.php NETPAC was formed 20 years ago to recognize the emergence of new cinematic talent among Asians. It publishes works on Asian film and is involved in promoting film showcases and festivals in Asia.The Festival opened this year with  Japanese director Ryuji Otsuka's  , a 2 minute experimental short made with still shots from an SLR camera in ChongQing's CiQiKou old street tourist area.It followed with Liu Heng’s  Back to Daxian  ( Huidao Daxian), which is a compelling feature length student documentary of Heng's return to her 7th grade class room. It follows Chen TingTing, a rough and strong girl who is struggling to find herself in her rough neighborhood near the Daxian, Sichuan train station.We are offered a rare glimpse into the loneliness, starkness and brutality of the life for many Chinese. But young TingTing offers vitality and strength as she fights - with her school mates, her teachers, her parents, her fate in life.  TingTing becomes very unaware of the camera so behaves naturally, which is to say charming and bratty, in front of the camera. She also, very touchingly, forgets the camera and reaches out to the documentarian herself, behind the camera, seeking understanding, validation, or perhaps just connection.This was shot on DV camera with no crew, so sometimes the image is hard to watch and the 120 minute film could profit by some tighter editing and stronger narrative structure, but Liu Heng presents a strong and personal documentary, often providing her own voiceover about her home and memories and her choice of subject in following TingTing makes this film compelling.