Past Filmmakers

Lei Han
Zoë 5:04

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

A traditional Chinese Performance— the Ribbon Dance—inspired Zoë. The dancer plays a ribbon on a stage throughout the entire performance; at the end she traps herself with the ribbon. The hidden meaning of the performance is a representation of a life circle.

2. How long did the production process take?

The footage was shot in a week. The editing and postproduction took several weeks to complete.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

The biggest challenge was the lighting setup for the scenes. In order to hide the identity of the performer, all footage was shoot behind a large piece of fabric with shadow casts on it. The idea was to make the beginning of the film look as if it was shoot inside a cocoon that was made of red ribbon.

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?

It was great to work with friends and the experience of making Zoë is unforgettable.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

Zoë is a film based on my own expression for things specific for me, I hope people watching the film to interpret things for themselves. As far as people enjoy it, that's what's most important for me and for this film.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

Most people have really enjoyed the film. They thought it is a beautiful and meaningful piece that speaks to them in some way.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

Work hard, dare to try and don't give up.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on.

I'm working on a new series of three short experimental films exploring the beauty of birth and death. The first one is a 3 minutes short, it'll be available for watching soon on my website.

9. What are you thoughts on the film industry in NC?

The NC film industry is heading to the right direction. There should be more opportunities and resources available for filmmakers to get involve with the film industry in NC. Filmmaking is one of the most expensive businesses to run compared with other multimedia businesses; a sharing network to exchange ideas, to research for funding information and to connect to NC film businesses would help greatly in shaping the future film industry in NC.