A LONG WAY HOME (2018)

Luc Schaedler | go between films
CH 2018 | 73 min | de, en, fr, zh

Synopsis

At the heart of the documentary A Long Way Home are five of the most influential figures in contemporary Chinese counterculture: the visual artists the Gao Brothers; choreographer and dancer Wen Hui; animation artist Pi San; and poet Ye Fu.

Trailer «A Long Way Home»

The documentary « A Long Way Home» centers around five of the most significant representatives of contemporary Chinese counterculture: the visual artists the Gao Brothers, the choreographer and dancer Wen Hui, the animation artist Pi San and the poet Ye Fu.

With bravery and subversive wit, they each shed light on the social problems in their country from their unique perspective. What they share is a struggle to come to terms with their respective pasts, all scarred by violence and oppression. Their vision is of a democratic, supportive and humane civil society.

A Long Way Home takes us on a fascinating journey into both the grim days of recent Chinese history and the dazzling cultural scene in present-day China. In doing so, the film poses universal questions that ultimately concern us all: which values determine our cultural identity and in what kind of world do we want to live? A Long Way Home is an entertaining and moving plea for human solidarity.

Statement director

«The beginning of my engagement with China is now more than 25 years ago. Since the brutal suppression of the democracy movement in 1989, I have repeatedly travelled through China. I have followed China’s economic development and the associated political and social upheaval with both amazement and irritation: What do external events, ruptures and changes trigger in people’s lives, and what does this mean for them in their everyday lives?» – Luc Schaedler

Festivals | Awards

– Nomination for «Prix de Soleure»
– Nomination for «Swiss Film Award»
– Montréal, Festival des films du monde (Canada)
– Dharamshala Intl. Filmfestival (India)
– EPOS Intl. Art Filmfestival, Tel Aviv (Israel)

Talk with Luc Schaedler