00:00:00: Welcome to the new edition of Vision The Real, guys.

00:00:03: We are here in Neon in Switzerland and I'm with the director Viv Lee who's fantastic first feature documentary Two Mountains waiting down my chest was already at Berlin now where it had its world premiere.

00:00:18: Now i could catch her at Vision The real.

00:00:21: how does that feel for you?

00:00:22: To have all these festivals lined up?

00:00:24: obviously

00:00:25: I feel very happy and overwhelmed the past month after.

00:00:52: It's a self-portrait that also concerns your background as Chinese and European person, like moving between the two cultural swears.

00:01:02: Between your family and friends world.

00:01:05: How was it to share this very personal story with such a broad audience?

00:01:09: And did you expect that take off so much from

00:01:11: the beginning?

00:01:12: I think It's clear for me That i am telling a story.

00:01:16: Somehow.

00:01:16: I just separate The role of the character Then myself as director quite clearly I think is also healthier.

00:01:23: So when making film Im immersed in my experience by myself, and then when we were editing I just stepped out as a director.

00:01:32: And really see it as a different person.

00:01:34: It's kind of an interesting like out-of-body experience.

00:01:37: The film is...it's a portrayal for me at the specific period in my life.

00:01:42: There are really glimpses because there're only nine minutes over five years.

00:01:45: So i think its' really a slice.

00:01:47: Its not something that I feel scared off Because this doesn't represent my full life.

00:01:52: How did you decide which from material you keep?

00:01:56: deep in the film and how much material did you actually have?

00:01:59: In the beginning, if you shoot over five years.

00:02:02: We had more than three hundred hours of footage And I think...I know every minute of it!

00:02:07: I just know every shot.

00:02:09: and then what's going on?

00:02:10: because most of the phone that i shot myself When we started editing..i kind-of just tell my editor What is the most memorable things in my mind That I can think about.

00:02:20: If I ask who was the most rememberable thing in past five year You could probably already laid out a lot And we started by doing that, and then used it as a puzzle.

00:02:30: Then put them together to see how they can form the story... ...and tell us lies of these five years.

00:02:36: How

00:02:36: did you know when to film?

00:02:38: Because there are private moments with friends or family.

00:02:43: Did you just decide if you always set your camera up...?

00:02:46: Or was this spontaneous decision?

00:02:48: The honest answer is no I don't want shoot But i should shoot when something like this happens actually wanted to do.

00:02:56: When I feel like as a character, even if i don't put the camera on...I would want to go out with my parents have dinner then I will shoot that.

00:03:04: it's a lot about perseverance and shooting these five years of documentary and having enough footage play around.

00:03:10: so in the end more than two hundred ninety hours or footage got removed.

00:03:14: And thats also because those decisions were sometimes not made right.

00:03:17: Like..i filmed something that is completely useless later.... I DO think That My Documentary Is A Process Filmmaking.

00:03:24: Doing it, no.

00:03:25: Went to shoots through the process I knew better and better.

00:03:28: A tricky thing with long-time documentaries or a longtime film project in general is knowing when actually stop When you have enough and its done.

00:03:36: How did you choose that moment?

00:03:38: That's interesting.

00:03:39: It was year of one moment where i just don't enjoy anymore.

00:03:43: In the very beginning The first three years were me taking camera Going around world meeting friends Meeting family And spending time With them and really enjoyed it.

00:03:52: I also think that the camera It's a catalyst for us to spend time together, To do something together.

00:03:58: And then that built our relationship better.

00:04:00: but the more I do The more repetitive it becomes and also feel like...I don't really enjoy the process of just filming them continuously anymore.

00:04:09: That is when i realized Okay!

00:04:11: I should stop this.

00:04:11: A

00:04:12: strong local focus point Of the film Is world between Beijing & Berlin Where there are originally more places.

00:04:19: Because you mentioned You went around the World Or was always clear?

00:04:23: that those would be the most important polar opposites.

00:04:26: Actually, in this film there are many other places.

00:04:28: There was New York and then there is also Poland And at some time we had Iceland.

00:04:35: I think it's from another France.

00:04:36: We have France.

00:04:37: It took us a long to figure out how explain where were But later on you realize maybe don't really need to explain Where're we?

00:04:45: Its not really contrast between countries or cities but its a contract between where i'm coming form afterwards.

00:04:52: So once we set that up and it's clear, then when decided okay maybe we don't need to know exactly which country or city... Which place?

00:05:00: It is but we just need to now this where Viv's home is And This Is Where She Went Afterward.

00:05:06: That's an interesting point because I found at least among the reviews i read which are more Europe centric.

00:05:13: there was a strong focus often on The More Traditional Idea of Chinese Society Then A More Open World Of Berlin.

00:05:21: This is maybe more projection, and it's really not so different.

00:05:25: I do think that i come from a very open family And I can only speak for the film on my surroundings.

00:05:32: Not all of them are friends or people around me.

00:05:35: They're supportive Very open to what they do.

00:05:40: Every society has their own traditions.

00:05:43: It sometimes does something to keep.

00:05:45: Sometimes there's something to break as well.

00:05:47: When

00:05:47: making this film was there moment where you maybe thought you want to stop or a way of feeling insecure about the project?

00:05:55: Yeah,

00:05:55: there are many times that I feel very insecure about projects.

00:05:58: It's five years and it is my first feature And making a film is very lonely especially in documentary.

00:06:04: most time we make it yourself!

00:06:06: And i have this like two hundred hours of footage sitting with no financing.

00:06:10: You just kind of look at yourselves.

00:06:12: what do your going to be doing?

00:06:13: Is they gonna become something?

00:06:15: If I were honest only start to shape itself?

00:06:18: two year ago The first three years, it's a lot of anxiety but out-of-a-lot of courage to just go on.

00:06:24: So I do think that a lot people are there.

00:06:27: they have great talent and then their really good at filmmaking.

00:06:30: They had stories to tell.

00:06:31: But then its so hard to continue And be perseverant about finishing completing the project For all the filmmakers out there who completed the product.

00:06:40: Whatever this is i really hats off with them.

00:06:43: What

00:06:43: would you thing is needed To make it easier for upcoming film makers?

00:06:49: maybe don't have huge financial family backing to create an industry where projects that are not mainly commercially focused as still possible and can emerge.

00:06:59: I do think the industry is looking so bright in many places, for me it's been a long time since i've felt quite depressed about the future of film especially for our house film.

00:07:12: but through making this documentary really keep making films and the goal is to create.

00:07:21: When you can keep creating them, it's not the result or whether it is commercial or non-commercial... ...whether if goes out there or not as long as we can make a film that already has a goal for me.

00:07:32: So yeah I just hope i can be creative.

00:07:35: There is space for me to be creative.

00:07:37: Where are they?

00:07:38: How do feel both speaking about theatrical releases And festival sphere?

00:07:43: because now at beginning of your festival journey Often these festival journeys are like a year or sometimes two years.

00:07:51: Is that accurate also for you?

00:07:52: Yeah,

00:07:53: I would love to go on more To this.

00:07:55: festivals is a great place For me and the filmmakers And get inspired and know That other people were struggling Or doing the same thing.

00:08:03: Other have all this courage i didn't have.

00:08:06: I had to consult my producer or sales agent But do think it's going off in one year.

00:08:13: Then we will have theatrical release.

00:08:15: How

00:08:16: do feel?

00:08:35: It's

00:08:36: very interesting, it is kind of the pregnancy psychological effect.

00:08:39: So if a pregnant woman walk on street and they will always see other pregnant women And then for me I was quite immersed in them queer spirit in Berlin, and then a lot of my friends are queer.

00:08:49: And they taught me a lot things!

00:08:51: Then everywhere I go...I can just also see queer films..and the queer community that i see as queer representation.

00:08:58: So for me it's obviously standing out there.

00:09:01: But I guess is also question like a broader sense A person who isn't immersed into this kind of community.

00:09:08: How do they see us?

00:09:11: Do they see different things?

00:09:12: Do They See Asian people?

00:09:15: Chinese female directors.

00:09:17: It is only when a person outside of the community can see us, that's what really we're going to be seeing Now.

00:09:23: you've worked on this project for five years.

00:09:26: are there already new projects emerging?

00:09:28: That your maybe putting together?

00:09:30: I am actually writing my first narrative feature and it's a road trip across desert region between photographer and fixer.

00:09:38: yeah i'm quite excited about it.

00:09:39: obviously im still enjoying festivals with this film after five years.

00:09:45: But yeah, I am constantly thinking about those scripts and i really want to get on the next project already now that the show is finished it's completed.

00:09:53: It kind of just a kid who was already after eighteen and departured from me so I cannot do anything for him anymore And then can only make new baby.

00:10:01: Do you

00:10:02: mainly wanna work in documentary sphere or fiction sphere?

00:10:06: Or not think about this but spontaneously decide which one

00:10:10: should go ?

00:10:10: I come form a documentary educational background.

00:10:13: So I think documentary is something that inspire me a lot and put me into this route And make me learn filmmaking in the very unnatural, unique way.

00:10:25: But now i also want to explore fiction.

00:10:28: how to maybe merge them?

00:10:29: I really think about the differentiation of documentary and narrative film because all-in-all it's a film It's an experience.

00:10:36: You sit there you look at screen then spend one hundred minutes.

00:10:39: so for me as a star being told

00:10:42: also inspired by documentary, would you like to name a few either films or filmmakers who inspire you?

00:10:49: So there is filmmaker that really inspires me.

00:10:52: I should really remember her last name but Her name is Sophie and then she's Canadian filmmaker.

00:10:58: She made the film called LAT.

00:10:59: It was unique when it came to me And i thought wow You can make a documentary Like this.

00:11:05: There were some scenes That really inspired my documentary as well.

00:11:10: Another great documentary The director coming from China is Wang Ding, whose nine hour films are just masterpiece.

00:11:17: He had this huge triology.

00:11:19: I think that was at many festivals.

00:11:22: Yes Is there something you also consider to do something much bigger in scope?

00:11:27: Maybe

00:11:27: i can re-edit my three hundred hours.

00:11:29: You still can

00:11:30: re edit them in.

00:11:32: Yeah

00:11:32: it could be a twelve hour film But the first rough card we have was four and half hours.

00:11:37: Your film's very humorous, is that intentional or... Do you sometimes watch a scene that you filmed and say, well it's actually funny moment?

00:11:45: I think there is some situations like he said.

00:11:48: For me i come from kind of like a humorous family environment aswell.

00:11:53: We like to laugh about things And i think Chinese people also have a sharp and unique sense of humour.

00:12:00: Then when we are looking on the footage most times just look at them and find they're really funny aswell.

00:12:05: Life is funnier than you imagine If u looked closer or longer.

00:12:10: just come funnier.

00:12:11: Now that you share the film with a broad audience all over the world, what would you hope for them to take away from?

00:12:39: and everything is evolving, everything in sterile massages.

00:12:42: Leave between it and be open to other perspectives out

00:12:45: there.".

00:12:45: Thank you so much with Lee for this interview!

00:12:48: Two mountains waiting down my chest... It's now still at Vision de Reel And if you cannot be here I'm sure its gonna get a German release date.

00:12:55: Do we already have one set?

00:12:58: But i'm sure it's going to get one because that's fantastic film You definitely should seek out.

00:13:02: thankyouso much for the interview.