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Best Drama | Best Student Film

THE SPEECH

Haohao Yan

Under the pressure of WHO, the Chinese government announced that the SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak is real. The city is closed. Most students have been sent home. During a lockdown inside a private boarding school, three eight-year-old girls have to find a way to make sense of the world.

Set in the era of the SARS virus in China, THE SPEECH is perhaps the most topical film in our lineup. But rather than focusing on the epidemic itself, this stunningly crafted short is more about the experience of being a child. While adults fret about the state of the world, children’s minds are stuck on peculiar things, like a stupid costume you have to wear for your dance recital, or whether the mercury inside a thermometer can actually kill you. This film lingers on like a fine cocktail, sophisticated and unforgettable. — Kath T (Programmer)

DETAILS

CATEGORY

Drama

RUNTIME

25 min

COUNTRY

USA

LANGUAGE

Chinese Mandarin

TAGS

Drama, Coming-of-Age

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY

Haohao Yan is a Chinese director and screenwriter. She received her MFA in directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2019. Her thesis film The Speech, a short film about three eight-year-old girls' quarantined life during the 2003 SARS epidemic in China was selected for the 2020 CAA Moebius Showcase, and will be premiering at Palm Springs International ShortFest 2020. Prior to her directing career she received her BA in Producing from UCLA School of Film and Television, where she mainly focused and worked on Chinese-American Co-production films.

RELATED LINK

Playing as a part of

SHOWTIME

Drive-in Theater

August 21, 2020

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Screening at 8:30 pm


At Brandeis Bardin Campus, Simi Valley

1101 Pepper Tree Ln, Brandeis (Simi Valley) CA 93064


Online Festival

Powered by Seed&Spark

Available to watch on demand from August 22-29, 2020


Award Block

Available to watch on demand from August 30-September 5, 2020


WATCH FILMMAKER Q&A

CREDITS

Director: Haohao Yan


Producer: Xiaoxiao Li


Writer: Haohao Yan


Cinematographer: Anton Shavlik


Production Designer: Menghan Qi


Editor: Luqi Zhao


Cast: Harmonie He, Gloria Xiong, Chedi Chang

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