Yunnan New Film Project's first filmThe Casebegan shooting on the 31st of May in Suhe, a small town near the historic village of Lijiang. Most of the film is being shot in and around a local guesthouse at the foot of Yunnan's Snow mountain, showcasing some of Yunnan's most stunning scenery.
Filming began with a standard ceremony, particular to the Chinese film industry, in which the film's entire crew including it's director Wang Fen and chief producer Lola payed their respects at the local Buddhist temple Longquan Si. This is intended to ensure the film's smooth production and commercial success. Contrary to prayers however, the first takes were heralded in by a heavy downpour that threatened to halt production virtually as soon as it had begun. Director Wang Fen acted quickly, making the difficult decision to shoot some of the film's more emotionally intense scenes, exploiting the heavy rain and gloomy atmosphere as a backdrop to the action. These scenes are usually left until later in production when the actors have adapted to their roles and had more time to mentally prepare.
The film's production is fairly demanding in this sense. The plot revolves around the discovery by one man of a trunk filled with the dismembered body of a murdered women. The trunk's dark secret seems to extend its reach into his everyday life, setting off a chain of disturbing events that gradually erode his sense of reality. Much of the film's quality will depend on it's ability to convey a specific mood rather than relying on dialogue and circumstance. Creating this kind of atmosphere during filming requires a great deal of energy and concentration not just from the actors and director, but every person on the set from the lighting crew to the make-up assistants.
Screenshots ofThe Case:
