The Beauty of Son of Wanderer
To the novice, the untrained, and the passive viewer, cinematography may be about stunning visuals and aesthetics but this would be a gross miscalculation. Cinematography is a means of communication. The greats in the field are not only recognized for the fact that they have something to say but just as importantly, that they have cultivated a fascinating way of saying it. Even the very words you are reading at this moment do not contain a fraction of the emotional information that a skilled DP can relate with the camera choices he or she makes. Nan Li’s work on the film Son of Wanderer has been resoundingly praised in the industry for its exceptional results in achieving this. Li’s intense and empathetic style perfectly complements a story which shows the mixing of two different cultures (China and America) in this deeply somber tale. The collaborating team which included director Chi Zhou, two time Oscar-winner Jana Sue Memel (screenwriter), and Nan Li as DP won numerous awards and moved many hearts.
Son of Wanderer has a profound emotional impact; which comes as no surprise as the screenplay was written by the acclaimed Jana Sue Memel. In this tale of second chances, a Chinese mother [Li] travels to the US to visit her estranged son Li Mingzhe. The tension between parent and child runs years deep as his choice of an artist’s career as well as a second marriage are distasteful to a mother rooted in tradition. When Li shows up unexpectedly at her son’s home, she is welcomed by his wife who seems confused by the visit. As the three of them tiptoe around each other, it soon comes to light that Li Mingzhe’s father has died, prompting this meeting. Decades of resentment erupt at the announcement and the dissolution of this family seems eminent. Only the contents of a mysterious box offer a possible reconciliation for the conflicted group.
The intensity of this story lies inside the hearts of the characters. Communication of the conflict necessitates an intuitively delicate touch which was attained by the work of Nan’s expertise as DP for Son of Wanderer. When Mingzhe Li (played by Jianqi Sun) confronts his mother Li (played by Ying Xie) about all of the mistakes she has made in their relationship history, the camera’s movements are subtle yet contain ample gravitas to elicit tears from the audience with each passing exchange. Even in a familiar scenario as when Mingzhe races after his mother, upon opening the package she has left for him, there is somehow a completely different emotional tone in the scene. Explaining his perception of how the camera should perceive the action, Nan relates, “After talking with Chi about the story, I had a strong feeling that quiet camera movements and static shots were the keys to this movie. This is a sad story about family conflict. The eyes are the windows of the soul. You can tell a story from people’s eyes. For one of the most intense scenes, I used a 1000mm super long lens and set up my camera a thousand feet away from the son character. The long lens reduced his moving speed and slowed the whole mood down. It also made everything out of focus except for him. He popped up from hundreds of people on the street and directed the audience’s attention to him. The whole shot looked like his mother wanted to talk to him but had to stay away. It transferred this feeling of internal struggle to the audience.” To establish a feel of uncomfortable proximity in the couple’s apartment, Nan and his team utilized the talents of Steadicam operator Jun Li to move amongst the actors and follow the character’s actions closely. The feeling of being “on top” of each other permeates the unsettling quietness felt by the characters in these scenes.
In addition to the recognition that Son of Wanderer has received as a film, Nan Li garnered many awards for his work as cinematographer. Best Cinematography at: the London Independent Film Awards, the Los Angeles Film Awards, and the Independent Shorts Awards are just a few of the prestigious festivals which proclaimed the excellence and impact of Nan’s visual presentation of Son of Wanderer. The DP reinforces that it was the efforts and talent of actors, director, camera, lighting, and grip departments that enabled such an excellent final product. The look and the story of this film combine beauty and pain in a deeply touching manner.
