LIVES TO DEATH A Film by Changfu Zhang

SYNOPSIS

This film mainly documented various living honor scenes before the Memorial of victims
killed
by 2002 bombings in the island of PARADISE-BALI.

On the night of October 12, 2002,
twice bombings by three terrorists killed more than 200 persons from 22 countries,
when they were being Happy in nightclubs of Heaven island --- Bali, Indonesia.

These full names of every victims were sculpted on a black statue as eternal memorial.
Every day and night many sightseers from different nations pay tribute to these sufferers
who should have taken pleasures in this island of God.
This film captures natural performances of diverse races before the monument, bombing
locations
and artistic scenes of praying, sun set of kuta beach ...... in Bali.
Although deaths of rascally bombing are pains of Bali and the world , Life will never end !
This Documentary was entirely shot on locations in Bali in 2004 ( Two years after Bombings )
and finished post production in August, 2009 in West Java.

Golden tiger pictures 2009 Production

Director’s Statement

I flied to Jakarta from Beijing via Guangzhou in the next month of 2002 Bali Bombings killed more than 200 persons from 22 countries. During the following two years the other sudden twice Blasts in Jakarta crossed my journey in Southeast Asia.

Until now I have been living in West Java for 6 years, these series of unexpected terror accidents shaped my life experience originated in a State running farm in China mainland as well as purified my own thoughts on humans and the world.

When I studied filmmaking in Beijing Film Academy in late 1990’s, Human nature and Truth were top issues explored in many classes despite the ruling of the world largest Communist Regime. As a independent filmmaker, making films concerned with Humanity and Reality is my consistent Ambition.

Due to its unique religion --- Hindu Buddha, Bali is distinct from the most regions of Indonesia dominated by Muslims.
So as what Balinese say: “ Java ( Main island in Indonesia ) is very complicated ! When I landed in the Heaven island in 2004, its native gentle music soften my emotions.

After sightseeing of some interests in Bali, Legian street ( Bombing location ) was converted into major shooting location of this subjective documentary, especially the Black statue enclosed with two Ruins. Although the road is both active and crowded, the isolable blast spots are still and idle. Prior to the tragedy, this area had ever been the zones of Nightclubs --- Happy Place ! The statue sculpted the full names of every victims is likely to be the logo of the street, which suggests Rising of the Fallen lives. The special mood of this space inspired my passions for shooting the earth day by day in spite of the heated weather. I proposed to achieve images offering insights into “ the Surface of Reality “.

While Framing the shots of scenes, my Handycam tended to perform the role of “ a Survivor ” more than “ the Narrator “ of this film and the wreckage was supposed to be “ Lively Actors “ rather than “ Deadly things “. Low Angle position widely used revealed the perspective of this film to convey the feeling of Mercy. Although the Narrative of this Documentary looks unemotional, I tried to create a style of camera movements, which weaves some emotions into the film’s Rhythm. So the motivation of camerawork is not “ Observation the Death ”, but “ Touching the Lives “.

Last year’s fall, I initiated this film’s editing procedures based Apple’s Final Cut Studio 2. It took one month of capturing raw material of 240 minutes to get preferred moments of meaningful. Cutting piece by piece into rhythmic flows of scenes is my creative process, which reveals time and space bit by bit. Since the theme of this film is “ LIFE “, Relating sequences of Memorial to other ones of Lively things scenes comes to be the main consideration of editing footage. The conflict between Westerns and Extreme Muslims is a different issue, meanwhile it is just what I want to moderate as much as possible in this film. This documentary purposes to stand at the level of All Human beings of the world, While not stay at the status of clashes of religions, races. So structuring the film mostly emerges from the juxtaposition of scenes of lives and destruction.

Due to creating the cycles of tension and release, many other scenes off Legian Street : Kuta Beach, Temple, Praying, Coffee plant and Roast, Kids playing ...... are counterpointed by the ones of Paying tribute and the Ruins. With the progression of time, the frames of shots within this film are gradually loosen, this development of vision what I tried aspires the release of emotions by this way.

With regard to the particular atmosphere of this film, the sound design tends to be noiseless and mild.
Except for the FX which intensifies the mood of bombing , other sounds in sync with images derive from live locations.
What I prefer is as softhearted, smooth and natural as the music of Bali, which may weave tributes into the “ Land of Happiness “ and devote the endless love to “ the people in Paradise “ !

Changfu Zhang

Profile
Born in a state-running farm in mainland China in 1974. Admitted in Beijing Film Academy in 1995. After Graduation in 1997,
working as a Freelancer and independent filmmaker for China major TV Stations, emerging media production companies
and Independent film projects mainly in Beijing. Since 2003, travel living in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2006 created independent
film workshop based digital camera and Apple’s Final cut Studio, which focuses on creative documentaries production.

Experience
Production Manager, Fiction Films, Mainland China
.1996 << Expiry film >> ( 35 mm / 30’- South Korea Co-production with China )
.1997 << Troubles in Xiaoxin Village >> ( Betacam / 60’ TV drama / produced by China Central TV Station )
.1998 << Paper >> ( 35 mm / 90’ - Supported by Hubert bals Fund of Netherlands )
Screened in 2000 Pusan International Film Festival and Rotterdam International Film Festival .
. 2001 << Beijing Suburbs >> ( Super 16 mm / 90‘ )
Editor, Educational Program, Beijing
.1999 << Audio-Visual Language >> ( Digital Betacam / 40 hours / Hosted by Zhou, Chuanji )
Writer-Director, Reality Show, Shanghai Oriental TV Station
. 2000 << News Story >> ( Betacam / 30’ TV series )
Co-Director and Master minder, Feature Length Creative Documentary, Mainland China
. 2000 << This Winter >> ( Digital Betacam / 90’ )
Official Selection in 2001 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival ;
Won the award of Best Debut Work in 2002 Marseille International Documentary Film Festival
. 2001 << Haozi Mountain Mao >> ( Digital Betacam / 60’ / produced by China Central TV Station )
Official Selection in 2004 Marseille International Documentary Film Festival
Writer, Independent Feature Length Fiction Film ( Coming of Age ), Jakarta
. 2003-2004 << Gan Tang >> ( Super 16 mm / 90‘ )
Producer / Director / Cinematographer / Editor / Sound Designer, Creative Documentary, Bali and Jakarta
. 2008 << Lives to Death >> ( Digital SD / 13’37’’/ Golden tiger pictures Production )
Presented in 32nd Festival / 25th Market of International Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand

Education
JiangSu Branch School of China Central Broadcasting and Television University - College Degree - 1994
Beijing Film Academy - Bachelor of Literature ( Film ), 1997

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