Standard of a Good Pupil
Standard of a Good Pupil is an anthology of eleven interconnected short films - parables on the
teachings of Confucius - that casts a probing light on the lives of young women in modern day
China. Consumed by desire and rebelliousness and yet living within the strictures of societal
expectations the women search for self-identity through validation in fashion, sensuality, and
self-expression.
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Ice CheungDirector
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Ice CheungWriter
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Ice CheungProducer
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Project Type:Experimental, Music Video, Short
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Runtime:29 minutes 18 seconds
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Completion Date:November 30, 2024
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Production Budget:3,000 GBP
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Country of Origin:Hong Kong
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Country of Filming:China, Hong Kong
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Language:Mandarin Chinese
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:4:3
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
I was born in China to Chinese parents who moved to Hong Kong when I was young. In 2020 I left home to live in London and expand my experiences. Just months later the world was hit by
Covid. It was one of the worse possible times to start afresh. I focused once again on editing my film. From the time of its conception Standard of a Good Pupil, which has been made without funding, is now complete and ready to survive in the world after eight years in the making. My education in fashion design and styling at the Hong Kong Design Institute gave me the creative pathway to fuse such studies with my love for storytelling, music, and drama. The fashion styling and accessories in the film are my own brand and design. All the actors in my film are non-professional and as such were open to their roles and directions. The atmosphere on set was collaborative and playful – the cast were adventurous. I enlisted the help of an excellent cinematographer who helped to capture the mood and dynamics I desired. It was important to me that Standard of a Good Pupil needed an underlining philosophy, that it stretched one’s understanding of the modern-day world by anchoring it to a set of values, of cultural learnings. This was not to be a parade of the mere beautiful it had to have a soul - a purpose. For this reason, every chapter in the film represents a part of the human experience and reflects upon my own journey and what it means to struggle, to discover oneself and to find HOME.
Embrace your vulnerability, change is the catalyst of creation.