Private Project

Blossom In Silence

Laura's journey of self-discovery in vertical caving and a meditation on living an authentic life through extreme sports.

  • Zhihao Deng
    Director
  • Laura Zhao
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    空谷幽兰
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Extreme sports, Life, Outdoor, Adventure, Zero Budget, One man band, independent, Action
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 27 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 22, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of California Berkeley
  • Durango Independent Film Festival
    Durango, Colorado
    United States
    March 5, 2022
    Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Sunset Film Festival Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    May 29, 2022
    California Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (SFFFF)
    San Francisco
    United States
    July 14, 2022
    Online Screening
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles Cinematography Awards

    Best documentary cinematography
Director Biography - Zhihao Deng

I have two careers - engineer and filmmaker.
I recently graduated from Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley. Before Berkeley, I spent 2 years making documentary films, celebrating human spirits in extreme sports: Caving and climbing. Before that, I was a DJI sponsored filmmaker and technical writer.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There are plenty of films about the coolness of extreme sports. However, I want to focus on the reasons behind it. This film is about caving but more about how to be a modern hermit. It's made for young people who are wondering about their place in this over-competitive society. I want to inspire them: it's okay to step out of what the society tells you.