CLOUDS IN A SHELL
by Liao Jiekai
qmark attended a screening during SIFF a few weeks back, of the latest work by our good friend Jiekai. Although the final director’s cut is not out even as of now, we saw a rather polished film in terms of cinematography, acting and direction, or at least in comparison with the other films screened that evening.
The film tells a story about psychological torment and (I guess) of its implied release. 2 main characters, acted by very impressive first-timers Jaclyn Chia and Jason Hui, reveal figments of their imagination and how they coped with their internal stress. I feel its not so much about the sequential flow of events, but more of a certain strand of illogicality that creates that creeping mood of the film and ties everything up. The trailer here shows it really well:
(trailer)
Some of the inspiration came from the movie “Invisible Waves” by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Last Life in the Universe), which is really about “atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere and atmosphere”; haunting, brooding and eating at you.
(on set)
Being a student director isn’t easy at all. Shooting schedules are really intense, day-night affairs that involve lots of management, concentration and problem-solving. Working on his set, I say that they can be more draining than architectural submissions! So give it up to Jiekai, upcoming director-extraordinaire!
(Jiekai’s Director’s Reel 0506)
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