Journey of Meteors

Yichun:
In "Journey of Meteors", mutual understanding and redemption are the central themes of this film, exploring the themes of love and death. Before they meet each other, love, for different reasons, leads Lyra and Leo to decide on their final journey. When they cross paths, and their experiences and thoughts clash, love makes them contemplate each other's deaths and, in turn, reevaluate their existence.

When the idea for creating this work first emerged, Qiyue and I aimed to explore depression-related topics and reconciliation with ourselves. Due to some personal experiences, I discovered an intriguing phenomenon: individuals often attempt to persuade those contemplating suicide to keep living, even when they are immersed in thoughts of suicide themself. Yet, the language used in these persuasions often falls flat. In persuading, people typically express hopes and visions of the future that they can conceive of, inadvertently denying the pain of those suffering from depression. Unable to be understood by others and having their pain invalidated, such persuasion can be seen as a form of self-assurance for the persuader, potentially exacerbating the suffering of the person contemplating suicide.

Hence, I wanted to convey an alternative perspective: those immersed in thoughts of suicide often feel isolated and unsupported in this world. Perhaps they need not be repeatedly told how beautiful the world is, but someone who can genuinely acknowledge their pain. Acceptance doesn't require understanding; it may be precisely because understanding is elusive that acceptance becomes essential. If one cannot comprehend another's pain, at the very least, refrain from refuting it; instead, embrace their suffering. This led us to create this story. Our protagonist, Lyra, is someone who, in a state of despair, still wishes to instill hope in others. She and Leo, driven by different experiences, diverge at a critical moment, resulting in a collision. But only when they truly accept the reasons behind each other's desire to end their lives can they genuinely redeem one another and themselves, rather than simply offering false hope that the other still has a reason to live.

Qiyue:
"Journey of Meteors" is a very challenging film to produce, requiring extensive location scouting, proficiency in car-mounted and aerial filming techniques, and shooting the night scene during daytime.

During the initial creative phase, Yichun and I share the idea of making a road movie. After determining the rough story background, I create the character Lyra and give her a backstory. Her thoughts encompass many of my reflections on life and death. I believe the meaning of life is connection, and we find purpose in our actions because of love. The purest love in life must come from parents, giving us the courage to act without reservation, while romantic love becomes the most perplexing aspect of our lives. This leads to Lyra having a reason to seek death and her internal struggles. Yichun, on the other hand, creates a character opposite to mine, which is quite interesting. We get stuck on the most crucial argument scene for a while, and eventually have a real argument, record it, and exchange different perspectives on life. We condense 40 minutes of content into a five-minute version. The biggest change in the script is how the two characters meet. Originally, it's out of Lyra's compassion, but we feel she wouldn't act that way. So I suddenly think, why not have the young man carry a gun, create a direct conflict, and then slowly resolve the misunderstanding? This makes the transition in their relationship feel more natural.

The pre-production phase is very challenging. We visit Kiama three times, even going as far as Canberra once. Finding shooting locations is what I consider my most successful accomplishment, even though some locations can't be realized. Apart from this, we also have to identify open stretches of road suitable for aerial shots. We have to drive between Kiama and Sydney to search for convenient shooting spots. We meet many kind-hearted people during this process.

In terms of filming, our reference films are "Nomadland" and the Netflix series "The End of the Fing World." Interestingly, when creating the shot list and searching for lighting references, we find that the character portrayals can be somewhat contrasting. Lyra has more of the loneliness and romance seen in "Nomadland," while Leo embodies the teenage rebellion and inherent innocence from "The End of the Fing World." However, I prefer a tone with dramatic conflict, which is evident in all my works, so the final product leans more towards a fairy tale with intensity. The on-site lighting is also chosen accordingly. I like a lot of backlight and emotional shots for Lyra, while Leo is more of a sunlit young man with fervor and naivety deep within him, giving his scenes higher contrast and drama. But in the parking lot scene, we use artificial streetlights and taillights to isolate Lyra. This is her first raw display of her inner self, requiring a strong sense of visual dramatic conflict.

In conclusion, We face many challenges, but we ultimately overcome them. This is a film I love and am very proud of as my graduation work during my student years. I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who helps us. Thank you for joining our romantic adventure.