Category Archives: Interviews

The camera creates a distance. You’re part of the world, but slightly protected from it at the same time: Tan Siyou on “Amoeba”

Tan Siyou discusses the function of the camera within the narrative, teenage desire, Singaporean society, exhibition and reception of the film in Singapore, China, Taiwan and worldwide at film festivals.

“Humanity’s capacity to endure loneliness is actually growing stronger and stronger”: Xu Zao on “The Light Pillar”

During the Berlin International Film Festival, I met Xu in an interview room on the top floor of the Berlinale Palast to talk about the making of Light Pillar, the film’s various Easter eggs, and the distinctive qualities of cinema from Northeast China.

《你的眼睛比太阳明亮》专访：张忠臣导演，陈坤阳制片人

我第一次听说张仲辰，是通过我在电影杂志《大众电影》的编辑。他曾多次向我提起这个名字，称他是近年来最具才华的新晋导演之一。在北京电影学院一带，张仲辰已经几乎成了一种“传奇”。我们在2025年十一月交谈时，这位导演刚刚结束他的欧洲之行，并对下一部长片有很多计划。

Polen Ly on Becoming Human: “I’m always drawn to this longing for something that has disappeared”

Becoming Human (ជាតិជាមនុស្សា), the feature-length debut of Cambodian filmmaker Polen Ly, tries to imagine the experience of a ghost spirit unwilling to part with this world and undergo reincarnation once again. Polen Ly discusses his experience as a self-taught filmmaker, the making of Becoming Human, and being part of Cambodia’s independent filmmaking community.

Color itself is a kind of “filter” produced by the human optical system: Conversation with “Branches from Concrete” director Zhou Zhenyu and sound designer Xu Mo

This year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam featured a strong lineup of contemporary experimental Chinese and Hong Kong films. Among them was Branches from Concrete directed by a Paris-based filmmaker Zhou Zhenyu. Zhou together with sound designer discuss work on the film, collecting archival materials, cinematic image of Hebei province, and how filmmaking can bring people closer to home.

色彩其实也是人类视觉系统的一种“滤镜”：专访《混凝土枝杈》导演周振宇、声音设计徐墨

今年的鹿特丹电影节呈现了一批极具分量的中国当代实验电影作品。其中，同样亮相电影节的还有定居巴黎的导演周振宇，他带来了新短片《混凝土枝叉》。

But what is ‘to change the world’ now anyways?: On the 75th Berlinale with Manuel Embalse

In late February 2025, I talked with filmmaker Manuel Embalse about the film he edited, Under the Flags, the Sun (Bajo las banderas, el sol), which premiered in the Panorama section at the 75th Berlinale. The conversation soon shifted to the film industry, history, and politics at large.