Experiencing Interruptions?

So long and thanks for all the fish

2019, in a small industrial city in western China, Zangzi, a second-year high school student, was required to suspend schooling. His parents set free caged animals every day, believing that Buddhism can solve their child's psychological problems, while only provoked Zangzi's rebellion. Two years later, when the 2021 College Entrance Examination results were released, Zangzi was at a turning point in his life. The family sent him to the city where the university was located, looking for a river to set fish free once again for him. By participating in and recording three set-free events, the director tried to reach the core of the problem that everyone in this family was avoiding.

  • Haoyu WANG
    Director
  • Haoyu WANG
    Producer
  • Haoyu WANG
    Cameraman
  • Ming SUN
    Cameraman
  • Haoyu WANG
    Editor
  • Xiaojuan WANG
    Key Cast
  • Ming SUN
    Key Cast
  • Mingjian SUN
    Key Cast
    "Zangzi"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    再见，谢谢所有的鱼
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Student
  • Genres:
    Family, Education, Religion, Buddhism, China, Teenager, Documentary
  • Runtime:
    59 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 CNY
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - City University of Hong Kong
Director Biography - Haoyu WANG

WANG Haoyu is a director and screenwriter. In 2022, he got his bachelor's degree from City University of Hong Kong. He is currently studying Ethnographic and Documentary Film at University College London. He has worked as an intern in Xinhua News Agency Shanghai Branch and Documentary Channel in Shanghai Media Group and has also worked as a shop assistant in MUJI. "So long and thanks for all the fish" is his graduation project at City University of Hong Kong, and his first feature-length documentary.

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Director Statement

This is a family documentary. "Zangzi" in this documentary is my cousin. The filming that lasted for more than two years began with Zangzi's sudden suspension from school. The title "So long and thanks for all the fish" is taken from Douglas Adams's series of novels "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". It originally refers to dolphins that had known the earth was about to be destroyed. So, they made many attempts to remind humans, which were all ignored or taken as tricks begging for food. Finally, before the end of the world, dolphins left the earth and thanked humans for all the fish. This is very similar to Zangzi's failed attempts to communicate with his parents in order to escape the control of Buddhism, after which he could only break the taboo of Buddhism to call their attention. And it is also a typical example of Asian family relationships: Parents demand their children with obedience and gratitude, and less and less express love. Should our next generation be required to embrace the religion of their family? How will they deal with the differences between themselves and those around them?