Master Class with Documentarian Zhou Hao

Zhou Hao, a renowned documentary director from China, will visit the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. During his visit, he will screen his latest short documentary, which has been shortlisted for the IDFA Film Festival, as well as a feature-length film that is rarely screened. Register here: https://bit.ly/3GHcEio. 

Additionally, he will conduct an afternoon workshop to provide professional guidance to students and the public on their work. This is a unique opportunity for students and professionals alike to learn from a seasoned filmmaker and gain valuable insights into the art of documentary filmmaking. Submit your project and get free mentorship now: https://bit.ly/47bOkke (Closed).

Date

28 – 29 January 2024

Zhou Hao is an award-winning documentary director and a member of the Oscar Academy. He was a journalist for more than ten years. Since 2001, he has been producing documentaries, and his works have been selected and awarded more than a hundred times in various film festivals worldwide. His works include Before Sandstorm (2023), All in (2021), The Chinese Mayor (2015), Cotton (2014).

January 28 | Screening & Discussion (Free event; Open to all)

• Time: 10:30 am – 13:00 pm
• Venue: MWT3, G/F, Meng Wah Complex, The University of Hong Kong
• Screening of Before Sandstorm (2023) and Cop Shop Ⅱ (2011) and Q&A with Zhou Hao
• *Registration: https://bit.ly/3GHcEio (Please register here by 23:59 HKT, January 24, 2024. There is no registration fee. Seats are limited. First come first served. Successful registrants will receive a confirmation email from the organiser before the event day.)
• Discussions will be conducted in Putonghua

《听，鸟儿在叫 Before Sandstorm》

(30min; with English subtitles)

This is Zhou Hao’s latest work, which was shortlisted for the IDFA Film Festival 2023.

Synopsis from the IDFA Film Festival 2023:
In a vast expanse of desert sands two men exchange health tips: “Wild boar meat is good for your lungs,” says one. “Wild boars and groundhogs,” replies the other. They press bunches of straw into the sand to combat the desertification and sandstorms here in the Tengger Desert of northwest China. A little later we see other people, men and women, doing the same work. In this immense swathe of sand—the Tengger is about the size of the Netherlands— their labor looks like a Sisyphean task. Perhaps it is due to the resulting sense of pointlessness that the conversations start to take on a more serious tone. One of the two men tells of how his wife left him, and how he had to raise his child alone. He once envisioned a different kind of life, but things go as they go. “Our fate is like an unbreakable wall,” he observes, with a resigned tone. After a long day, he and the other workers are picked up by a tractor and trailer. Tomorrow will bring another day in the hot desert under the clear blue sky.

• Time: 14:30 pm to 18:05 pm
• Venue: Digital Media Lab, Eliot Hall, The University of Hong Kong
• Lecture and live feedback on your individual projects by Zhou Hao. * Selected attendees will receive live feedback on short work samples from their current projects.
  • Submit your project and get free mentorship: https://bit.ly/47bOkke (Closed)
  • Application deadline: 02/Jan/2024 23:59
  • Classes will be conducted in Putonghua

January 29 | Documentary Video Production (Special screening & event; Open to Master of Journalism students only)