Jian Ping's column
An Inspiring Experience at the Heartland Film Festival
An Inspiring Experience at the Heartland Film Festival
by Jian Ping
Nothing is more reassuring and gratifying than finishing the screening of your film at a film
festival with a SOLD OUT show and a standing ovation from the audience. That was the exciting
experience I had at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, a well-respected festival by
filmmakers and film patrons at which Mulberry Child had its world premiere.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Susan Morgan Cooper, director of the feature-length
documentary film based on my book Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China, repeatedly said to the
enthusiastic audience. She wiped away tears of joy and appreciation as she faced the audience
in this packed AMC theatre in Castleton Square.
My daughter, Lisa, and I stood by Susan's side, along with Louise Henderson, director of the
festival's documentary program who introduced us to the audience. We were all touched and
Nothing is more reassuring and gratifying than finishing the screening of your film at a film
festival with a SOLD OUT show and a standing ovation from the audience. That was the exciting
experience I had at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, a well-respected festival by
filmmakers and film patrons at which Mulberry Child had its world premiere.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Susan Morgan Cooper, director of the feature-length
documentary film based on my book Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China, repeatedly said to the
enthusiastic audience. She wiped away tears of joy and appreciation as she faced the audience
in this packed AMC theatre in Castleton Square.
My daughter, Lisa, and I stood by Susan's side, along with Louise Henderson, director of the
festival's documentary program who introduced us to the audience. We were all touched and
Mulberry Child postcard
thrilled by the response we received. I must say I was also
overwhelmed and humbled. All my concerns and worries about
exposing my life and that of my family evaporated at that moment.
Even Lisa, a reluctant participant throughout the filmmaking
process, came on board, now that she saw the positive impact
that the film had on others.
It took us nearly two years to finish the production of Mulberry
Child. Actually, we didn't have a final version, with Jacqueline
Bisset as narrator, until two weeks before the start of the
Heartland Film Festival. Our trailer was posted on YouTube and
our website at www.mulberrychildmovie.com until after the
Festival started! We were very grateful and honored that
Heartland selected Mulberry Child based on a draft cut of the film
that Susan submitted.
"You have no idea how big this is," Susan said to me, referring to
the standing ovation.
overwhelmed and humbled. All my concerns and worries about
exposing my life and that of my family evaporated at that moment.
Even Lisa, a reluctant participant throughout the filmmaking
process, came on board, now that she saw the positive impact
that the film had on others.
It took us nearly two years to finish the production of Mulberry
Child. Actually, we didn't have a final version, with Jacqueline
Bisset as narrator, until two weeks before the start of the
Heartland Film Festival. Our trailer was posted on YouTube and
our website at www.mulberrychildmovie.com until after the
Festival started! We were very grateful and honored that
Heartland selected Mulberry Child based on a draft cut of the film
that Susan submitted.
"You have no idea how big this is," Susan said to me, referring to
the standing ovation.
Susan has attended many film festivals world-wide with her previous award-winning documentary An Unlikely Weapon: The
Eddie Adams Story. I had seen and loved that film, which was what got us together to work on Mulberry Child.
I gave Susan a long hug. I've become very close to her over the past 20 months. Susan expanded the film to include my
intentions when writing the book—to tell my American grown daughter where she had come from so she would not forget the
family history, Chinese culture, and the hardship we had endured. Susan skillfully tied several themes together in the film,
including the universal mother/daughter relationship, the cultural collision between two generations of immigrants, and how
our past would impact our future. During the filming process, Susan and cinematographer Quyan Tran made three trips from
Los Angeles to Chicago to capture my life with Lisa today. Together, we also made a 12-day trip to China, covering four cities,
from Shantou in southern China where the Cultural Revolution Museum is located, Beijing where I worked for four years in
the early 1980s, Changchun where my mother and siblings live, and Baicheng, the small town where I grew up. The final
film reflects director Susan's vision and creativity. It is also the result of joint efforts by many people.
Eddie Adams Story. I had seen and loved that film, which was what got us together to work on Mulberry Child.
I gave Susan a long hug. I've become very close to her over the past 20 months. Susan expanded the film to include my
intentions when writing the book—to tell my American grown daughter where she had come from so she would not forget the
family history, Chinese culture, and the hardship we had endured. Susan skillfully tied several themes together in the film,
including the universal mother/daughter relationship, the cultural collision between two generations of immigrants, and how
our past would impact our future. During the filming process, Susan and cinematographer Quyan Tran made three trips from
Los Angeles to Chicago to capture my life with Lisa today. Together, we also made a 12-day trip to China, covering four cities,
from Shantou in southern China where the Cultural Revolution Museum is located, Beijing where I worked for four years in
the early 1980s, Changchun where my mother and siblings live, and Baicheng, the small town where I grew up. The final
film reflects director Susan's vision and creativity. It is also the result of joint efforts by many people.
| Jian, Lisa and Susan at the Heartland Film Festival Gala |
| Lisa and Susan in front of theatre 10 at AMC where Mulberry Child is shown |
| Jian talks with film patrons after Mulberry Child's screening |
After each of the three screening of Mulberry Child at the Festival, many
people in the audience raised their hands to ask questions.
Susan talked about our close encounter with a soldier at Tiananmen
Square when we were shooting there and the fact that she re-constructed
a "mud house," similar to the one my family was forced to settle in during
the Cultural Revolution, in her backyard in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.
Lisa related her difficulties growing up between two cultures in the U.S.
and my high expectations of her. And I, with so many things I wanted to
say, constrained myself by giving brief answers to questions about my
family members, the tremendous changes and progress that China has
made since the Cultural Revolution, and my endeavors today as a writer,
publisher and public speaker.
At the end of each screening, we shook hands with many people as they
filed out of the theatre. Men and women of different ages stopped by to
express their feelings. Some resonated with the mother/daughter story,
some found the historical footage of the Cultural Revolution shocking and
educational, and some reassured me that Lisa was going through a
growing up stage and would "come back" to me, as their children did.
I was moved when a father of Italian descent related to me the same
challenges he faced raising four children in the U.S.—the difficulties of
instilling Italian culture and heritage in his American-grown children. When
an American mother was in tears as she shared her disconnection with
her adopted daughter from China, who was now 17. And when an Asian
woman in her 20s came to tell me she would give her parents a call and
tell them she loved them.
Even Lisa was elated. I watched her talking to two elderly women who
walked up to her. They told Lisa they understood her difficulties and
praised her for the journey she had covered.
Each of these conversations touched me deeply. By addressing the
audiences' questions and chatting with viewers after each showing, I was
compelled to look into my own behaviors in raising Lisa and reflect on my
relationship with her.
"If I knew what I know today, I would have done many things differently," I
admitted openly. "I'm not a Tiger Mother," I said. "But I realize now that
my high expectation has put a lot of pressure on daughter."
This was my first attendance at a film festival as a filmmaker. It was a
"Truly Moving Pictures" experience, as the title of the Heartland Film
Festival suggested. It was very inspiring for me to hear Jeff Sparkes,
President and CEO of the film festival, talk about the 20-year journey of
the festival. It has grown so large and so nurturing to filmmakers that
the prizes the Festival gives today—$100,000 for best narrative film,
$25,000 for best documentary, and $10,000 for short film—is more than
people in the audience raised their hands to ask questions.
Susan talked about our close encounter with a soldier at Tiananmen
Square when we were shooting there and the fact that she re-constructed
a "mud house," similar to the one my family was forced to settle in during
the Cultural Revolution, in her backyard in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.
Lisa related her difficulties growing up between two cultures in the U.S.
and my high expectations of her. And I, with so many things I wanted to
say, constrained myself by giving brief answers to questions about my
family members, the tremendous changes and progress that China has
made since the Cultural Revolution, and my endeavors today as a writer,
publisher and public speaker.
At the end of each screening, we shook hands with many people as they
filed out of the theatre. Men and women of different ages stopped by to
express their feelings. Some resonated with the mother/daughter story,
some found the historical footage of the Cultural Revolution shocking and
educational, and some reassured me that Lisa was going through a
growing up stage and would "come back" to me, as their children did.
I was moved when a father of Italian descent related to me the same
challenges he faced raising four children in the U.S.—the difficulties of
instilling Italian culture and heritage in his American-grown children. When
an American mother was in tears as she shared her disconnection with
her adopted daughter from China, who was now 17. And when an Asian
woman in her 20s came to tell me she would give her parents a call and
tell them she loved them.
Even Lisa was elated. I watched her talking to two elderly women who
walked up to her. They told Lisa they understood her difficulties and
praised her for the journey she had covered.
Each of these conversations touched me deeply. By addressing the
audiences' questions and chatting with viewers after each showing, I was
compelled to look into my own behaviors in raising Lisa and reflect on my
relationship with her.
"If I knew what I know today, I would have done many things differently," I
admitted openly. "I'm not a Tiger Mother," I said. "But I realize now that
my high expectation has put a lot of pressure on daughter."
This was my first attendance at a film festival as a filmmaker. It was a
"Truly Moving Pictures" experience, as the title of the Heartland Film
Festival suggested. It was very inspiring for me to hear Jeff Sparkes,
President and CEO of the film festival, talk about the 20-year journey of
the festival. It has grown so large and so nurturing to filmmakers that
the prizes the Festival gives today—$100,000 for best narrative film,
$25,000 for best documentary, and $10,000 for short film—is more than
the combined prizes of the Toronto International
Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca
Film Festival.
Over the course of the few days I stayed at
Indianapolis, I met and chatted with many
filmmakers. Everyone raved about how nurturing
and supportive the Heartland Film Festival was to
filmmakers. I could certainly attest to that, from the
way we were received, the hospitality extended to
us from everyone at the Festival, to the follow ups
on every detail. I feel so lucky to have had the
opportunity of having Mulberry Child premiered at
this Festival.
Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca
Film Festival.
Over the course of the few days I stayed at
Indianapolis, I met and chatted with many
filmmakers. Everyone raved about how nurturing
and supportive the Heartland Film Festival was to
filmmakers. I could certainly attest to that, from the
way we were received, the hospitality extended to
us from everyone at the Festival, to the follow ups
on every detail. I feel so lucky to have had the
opportunity of having Mulberry Child premiered at
this Festival.
| Caring for older adults through compassionate and excellent service If you want to make a difference in the lives of our residents, visit our website to view and apply for our current openings. www.oakwoodvillage.net Oakwood Village is a Lutheran church-sponsored, not-for-profit, locally operated organization consisting of two continuing care retirement communities, Oakwood Village East and Oakwood Village West, in Madison, Wisconsin. EOE |
Jian Ping is author of “Mulberry Child: A Memoir of
China. “ For more information, visit www.moraquest.com
or www.mulberrychild.com. Jian Ping’s blog,
which she keeps with a couple of other authors, is at
www.smearedtype.com.
China. “ For more information, visit www.moraquest.com
or www.mulberrychild.com. Jian Ping’s blog,
which she keeps with a couple of other authors, is at
www.smearedtype.com.