ZHONG HAI Zhong Hai is a member of China Film Director’s Guild. He is known for films like: THE KEY OF LOVE, which was selected for Cairo International Film Festival; BOYS, GIRLS (2008), was recommend by China Children Film Association; CLASS THREE, CLASS FIVE (2009), MY YANMING DAYS (2011), for which the leading actress won Excellent Actress Award at the 4th China Image Film Festival and the title of most Recommended Actress at 2012 Sydney International Chinese Film Festival, LET’S SHIMMY (2012), that won Excellent Film Award at the 1st Zhejiang Youth Film Festival, DIFFERENT PAINS (2013), which was selected in the screening of the 22nd China Golden Rooster Film Festival, THE SWEET RIVER (2014), which was selected in the main section of the 21st Beijing College Student Film Festival and won Excellent Film Award at Chinese American Film Festival. RUNNING LIKE WIND (2017), won the Special Prize for Chinese Children’s Film, Children’s favorite Feature Film and Best Performance by a Child (Yang Xinyi as Baizhu) at the 13th China International Children’s Film Festival and also won Special Award for Contribution to China-EU Cultural Communication at the 3rd China-EU Film Festival.
Director's statement There is an impoverished county in China’s most south Hainan province, called Qiongzhong, where generations of Li and Miao minorities are inhabited. The children here have never stepped out of deep mountains to see the big world outside. They live in bare poverty, but they study and struggle like tough wild grass in beautiful nature without grudges. Soccer is a completely alien object until coincidence brings to them a down-and-out coach, who ignites their dream of hope. The minority girl players wish they can eventually go to see the world through the sport. They conquer one after another challenges to chase after their soccer dream, running like wind, in tears and laughter. To present a natural performance, all actors lived and trained in harsh environment to know about local people’s daily life and their cultural traits. We strived to endow each character unique personality, based on realistic, natural and innocent style of acting. Photography served an important role in storytelling as well. […] In summary, our film tried to realize natural integration of documentation and montage, mobilizing flowing shots to present organic life of Qiongzhong girls soccer team, together with general and nuanced human feelings. This is an up-beat youth film that combines together sports spirit and patriotism, teen characteristics and adult perspective, and down-to-earth and artistic styles.
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