Welcome to my blog

Hello welcome to my blog. My name is Charlie, I am a student from De Montfort International College. My course is film studies and I'll mostly talk about films in this blog.

In my first post, I would like to discuss one of my favorite films.

Source: Yi Yi Movie Database

This image is from a film named Yi Yi, released in 2000. It was directed by Edward Yang, a Taiwanese auteur known for his realistic portrayal of Taiwanese society. It explores the lives of three generations of a Taiwanese family in Taipei. Yang Yang is the youngest child, Ting Ting is the teenage daughter, and NJ is the middle-aged father. Other main characters include the mother Min-Min, her brother A-Di, and their mother (the grandmother).

Yi Yi is special to me in every aspect of its filmmaking, especially its characters and story. This film fits into my perception of the film I want to make, which is natural, compelling, and observes humanity and society. I also realized how hard it is to make a film like this when I did my own filmmaking, especially with its writing.

The story follows these characters dealing with problems of their own respective to what we expected of their ages. NJ has faced a dilemma between confronting his past and his work nature. Ting Ting felt guilt for her grandmother's condition while trying to understand intimacy when she started dating. Yang Yang, the youngest child, is trying to understand the world dominated by adults. Wanting to help other people to reveal their "half-truths", he started photography, and interested in his tormenter, he challenged himself to do swimming. Min-Min seeks to find peace as she faces her mother's condition while feeling her life is empty.

These characters lived and faced their problems in an enclosed setting, Taipei. The only exceptions are NJ and Min-Min, who went elsewhere to deal with their respective problem later on. As all of them faced individual challenges, the family gradually became divided and wasn't as united as before. This portrayal also shows Taipei as a city full of vibrant characters, with everyone dealing with something, and a city of change, especially since it's approaching a new century (the 2000s).

Sanne Albers of Frameland on Yi Yi and its portrayal of Taipei: Cinematographically, this idea is supported by the beautiful imagery of urban Taipei. A concrete-and-glass jungle, in which people have to fight against anonymity. Contrasted with the close-knit remnants of traditional Chinese family life inside the buildings. Many scenes are filmed through windows, with reflections and noises of the city creating a distance between the viewer and the characters. It constantly reminds us of the shields that we raise around ourselves for protection. (Albers, 2018)

Its concept, characters, story, cinematography, and music make this film feels alive. I mean this as in it feels more than just a film. It does feel as if I grow to be more understanding whenever I watch this film since I often reflect on myself and other people when watching. It's a feeling of attachment and relatability to the world within the film, regardless of character age, gender, place, or time.

Although there are many more things I want to say about Yi Yi, this is a short talk on why Yi Yi is special to me. I am talking about it because I feel that as an aspiring filmmaker, this is the approach to filmmaking that I would like to pursue. I believe that I wanted to write realistic characters that the audience understands while connecting them to a realistic portrayal of the society around them. This can also be a brief preview as to what films I liked and what work I might do in the future, such as a film or script about family life in Indonesia.

References:

Yi Yi Movie Database. [online] Available at: <https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/25538-yi-yi/images/posters> [Accessed 12 October 2022].

Albers, S., 2018. Frameland » The Philosophy of Yi YiFrameland. [online] Frame.land. Available at: <https://frame.land/the-philosophy-of-yi-yi/> [Accessed 15 October 2022].