JOURNEY OF PURSUING THE SUN

“JOURNEY OF PURSUING THE SUN” 
Presented by China Film Co., Ltd. and Rising Media (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

This short film tells the story of the adventures of an epic legend, documented in China's earliest work of fiction, the “Classic of Mountains and Seas”, also known as “Shanhaijing”.

The stories recorded in “Shanhaijing” are surreal and vivid, rich in extraordinary imagination and ancient human narratives. In addition to demonstrating wisdom of ancient times, the insights and implications within these stories are enlightening and thought-provoking, offering perspectives on the crises and challenges of the modern world today. This fresh viewpoint has never been explored in any previous interpretations of “Shanhaijing”.

One well-known story tells of a mystical journey in search of fate and faith, set after the mythological age. The legend reconnects with long-lost friends by chance, only to discover that their emotional suffering has been healed in various ways. After a brief reunion, the legend continues his journey, seeking his own answers.

We have created this visual narrative by leveraging the interplay of light and shadow. Movie is the first to use light and shadow to tell a story in the West since the year of 1895, and shadow puppetry has been used in opera performances with oil lamps and shadows in China since the 1st millennium BCE.

We honor the origins of The Cinema by removing all dialogue audio and replacing it with word cards, in homage to the silent film era. All physical visual effects are used throughout the film, and candlelight is employed to create the ambiance of daylight performance.

All characters have been redesigned using traditional shadow puppetry carving techniques, combined with contemporary design elements. Traditional cowhide has been replaced with environmental friendly materials. For the music, we have select all unplugged musical instruments to emphasize authenticity. Through these methods, we believe we have created a new artistic language—a fusion of the past and present, combining Western civilization with Orientalism.

Language may differ, and ideas may vary, but we share a similar passion for chasing our dreams and a common human bond of emotion. We wish to convey the concept of One planet, one human race, one family.