In Always, director Deming Chen follows the evolution of a young boy — and his beautiful poetry — while growing up in rural China. We posed our Qs à la mode to Deming, and here’s what he shared!
If I had to describe my film using only three adjectives, they would be: Classical, beautiful, and poetic.
I wanted to make this film because: I want to rediscover pure beauty through the camera.
The thing that surprised me most while making my film was: Childhood passes in the blink of an eye.
My favourite moment/scene/sequence in my film is: I’m always moved by the emotions and visuals at the ending of the film.
My most invaluable piece of doc-making equipment was/is: I choose different equipment depending on the subject matter. For Always, I used the BMPCC 4K. For my next project, I plan to use the RED Komodo.
My must-have snack to get me through hours in the editing room is: Tea and cigarettes. Interestingly, as someone who smoked for over 10 years, I recently managed to quit.
One piece of documentary-filmmaking advice I’d like to share with aspiring documentarians is: To borrow a quote from Herzog, which I also see as a life motto: “From the first day I started making films, I’ve felt that I live a rich life. Being able to do what I truly love throughout my life — no amount of money can compare to that.”
Want to check out Deming’s film or just learn more about it?
Get the scoop, and your tickets, here!
