The success of Lan Hongchun’s Dear You has brought him to Venice this year, one stop on a global festival tour where the Chinese filmmaker has been sharing the story behind his movie’s unlikely rise to a $300 million hit back home.
Lan’s small-scale but emotionally effective drama became a sensation on release earlier this year, tapping into themes of family and love that resonated in China — and are now resonating with the Chinese diaspora as the film finds a global release. Lan, who made Dear You for around $2 million, has been using his newfound platform to encourage audiences to take advantage of these favorable conditions and start creating themselves.
“I feel like we’re in an era where creators have so many more channels at their disposal,” says Lan, speaking on the sidelines of Venice. “Whether it’s the equipment they use or the platforms to showcase their work, the options are incredibly diverse. That’s why I believe it’s a time full of opportunities for everyday creators.”
Some of the latest examples of both the equipment — and the channels that are offering just that — have been front and center along the red carpet at Venice this year.
While the lion’s share of attention has obviously fallen, as usual, on the festival’s parade of stars — George Clooney and Maggie Gyllenhaal among them — Chinese smart device developers Honor has positioned two of its latest products behind the velvet ropes, hoping to turn the heads of a new generation of content creators as well as the talent.
