On October 27, the documentary film "The Moon Is Yours" (English title: The Moon Is Yours), directed by Wu Bei, the founder of V Picture, won the "Golden Seagull" recommended work award in the international communication category at the 4th Chinese Documentary Film Conference. At the same time, Wu Bei was nominated for "Specially Recommended Director". The film was also permanently collected by the National Image Collection Project along with other award-winning works.
The documentary film "The Moon Shines on a Foreign Land" won the "Golden Seagull" Recommended Work Award in the International Communication category at the 4th Chinese Documentary Film Conference.
This year's Chinese Documentary Film Conference, under the guidance of China Media Group, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Propaganda Department of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, and hosted by the China News and Documentary Film Studio (Group), the China Film Association, and the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, aims to recognize and encourage Chinese-language filmmakers dedicated to their work on the front lines of filmmaking. The conference received 40 entries (including science and education films and stage art films). In addition to "Moonlight on a Foreign Land," ten documentary films, including "Your Voice," "Auntie Hu's Garden," and "Grandpa and Grandma's Stories," were recommended in both the film and individual categories.
"Through three years of filming, we have truly captured the experiences of foreign students studying in China and their struggles," said the film's director Wu Bei at the award ceremony. "As a documentary film operating in an atypical market, the journey has been incredibly difficult. We hope that with the support of Golden Seagull, this film will have the opportunity to be released in theaters next year and be seen by more people."
Wu Bei
Director Wu Bei serves as an industry mentor at the School of Journalism at Fudan University, his alma mater. In order to explore the innovation of integration of industry, academia and research, he opened an elective course "Audio-Visual Practice Workshop". The film was planned from September 2022 to the end of August 2025, and the release license was obtained. The entire shooting and production process lasted three years. More than one hundred Fudan undergraduates and graduate students took the course and participated in the practice.
"The Moon Shines on a Foreign Land" tells the story of the hesitation, struggle and hard work experienced by six foreign students of different nationalities, backgrounds and majors in their study in China:
Jin Yunlong, a young Russian, dreams of settling down in China and becoming a doctor; Philip, a young Croatian, hopes to find his place in China's financial industry; Pascal, a young Zimbabwean, strives to obtain a master's degree from Fudan University School of Medicine; Li Man, a young Italian woman, is studying for her doctorate while experiencing the life challenges brought about by youth; Shi Pengda, a young Thai-Chinese, comes to his parents' hometown to seek reconciliation with his heart and family; Kona, an American who decides to change his career at the age of 30, arrives in Pudong to start a new life as an undergraduate freshman.
The film uses a "3+2+1" structure with three main characters, two supporting characters, and one introductory character to weave a comprehensive portrait of international students in China. From a unique perspective, it reflects the hesitation, struggle, and struggle encountered by young people around the world in their studies and growth, expressing the theme of "youth is similar and human nature is common."
Poster of "The Moon Shines on My Homeland"
