26 Sep 2011
RELEASE: Dali – Love At First Sight
In spring of 2010, Chris and I (JJ) travelled to Yunnan province to explore a prefecture called Dali.
This is one of the most beautiful regions in China, largely untouched and full of surprises. The shoot took just over a month to complete. Dali has a very interesting history even for Americans, as it was a part of the Burma Road, a supply line that was crucial to the victory of WWII on the Pacific front. The infamous Flying Tigers are also a part of Dali’s rich history.
The film is 90 minutes long and covers such topics as dance, music, food, art, small industry, modern development, rural life and history.
This is the first film that I started working with cinematography, using: [Canon 5DMKii, 100mm macro f/2.8, 50mm 1.4, 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6] When I was in high school, I had a dark room in my basement and was part of a fantastic art program that taught everything from sketching to oil painting and photography. In fact, I was in the darkroom at Moeller HS when the first plane hit the trade towers on 9/11. Back to the point, filming was a natural extension for me and a total blast. For future films, I became more and more involved with the art, even though producing is my main focus.
As of November 2013, Chris still travels to Dali quite often. I’ve not had a chance to return yet, but given the wealth of subject matter the region has to offer, I suspect that will change soon.
Chris and JJ during the filming of “the old town”
Cormorant fishing – the birds are trained to come back to the boat when they catch a fish.
Chris, gearing up just before we crossed over to “Honeymoon Island.”
This was a photo for my mom on Mother’s Day – I had climbed up a mountain to prove my love. And get a good shot.
