Private Project

A Life in Six Chapters

China’s history throughout the 20th century was a turbulent one. Before becoming a writer in Manchuria, young Xiao Jun (1907-88) had experienced the harshness of reality-from the suicide of his mother to the failures of his father’s business and the abuse of military officers. After the Mukden Incident in 1931, he was expelled from the Chinese Army for attempting to attack the Japanese invaders, becoming “a slave without a country.” As he travelled to Harbin, Tsingtao, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chungking, Yenan, and Beijing, he encountered two of China’s most talented female writers—Xiao Hong and Ding Ling—and befriended two of the giants in Chinese history—Lu Xun and Mao Zedong. Fighting vigorously against injustice through writing, he also struggled to survive the political tempest that overtook him and his friends. Xiao Jun is a rare case of a 20th-century Chinese intellectual that never broke or backed down. A Life in Six Chapters presents the life story of Xiao Jun, but also many other prominent writers of modern China.

  • SHIYU LOUISA WEI
    Director
    Havana Divas, Golden Gate Girls
  • SHIYU LOUISA WEI
    Writer
    Havana Divas, Golden Gate Girls
  • Bin Wilfried Lu
    Producer
    Havana Divas
  • Haiying Zhou
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Leo Ou-fan Lee
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Xianzhi Lin
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Zaifu Liu
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Hui Wa
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
  • Ding Zhang
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    蕭軍六記
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 29, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Hong Kong
  • Country of Filming:
    China, Hong Kong
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Singapore Chinese Film Festival
    Singapore
    Singapore
    April 29, 2022
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Blue Queen Cultural Communication Ltd.
    Distributor
    Country: Hong Kong
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - SHIYU LOUISA WEI

S. Louisa Wei’s award-winning Golden Gate Girls (2014) was well reviewed by international media including The Hollywood Reporter, South China Morning Post, and China Daily. The film was the opening and closing film of several international film festivals and many international conferences. Louisa’s first feature documentary, Storm under the Sun (2009, co-director Peng Xiaolian) and recent TV doc Wang Shiwei: The Buried Writer (2016) both obtained acclaim for reflecting Chinese intellectuals’ history. Her feature documentary Havana Divas (2019) has been screening in Hong Kong and selected for film festivals like CAAMFest36 (San Francisco), Shanghai International Film Festival, Vancouver Asian Film Festival, and Beijing International Film Festivals. The film has received positive reviews from critics and high ratings from audiences. She is currently editing a documentary on Cui Jian with the working title Red Rock—in collaboration with Cui Jian.

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Director Statement

When I began this journey, I was searching for a hero with the strength and courage to remain steadfast and devoted, even amidst chaos, war, and betrayal. In the end, I found not one, but many, brave souls that never wavered, even in the darkest hour.