Cherish is a coming-of-age drama about Lauren, who rebels against her conservative family and her planned life until COVID prevents her from sharing her dying grandfather’s last moments, and she learns what really matters.
The premise of this short film, Cherish, is based on my own real experiences. It’s precisely these experiences and memories that sincerely make me believe in the importance of family in our lives. Through this project, we want to convey our concept to the audience: the presence of everyone around us is limited, but our family members condense boundless love within this limited time spent around with us. Hence, we should treasure the companionship around us. The concept that we try to spread is: that the world is harsh, and so are the rules. As ordinary people, we often can’t live our lives entirely according to our own wishes. Just like Lauren and her family, we find ourselves powerless in the face of unexpected loss, due to policies or regulations. In terms of the filming style, the colour palette will be conceived and composed to match the theme and emotions, favouring subdued tones over overly vibrant ones. The style will be minimalist and gentle, with a strong contrast formed by the extensive use of solid cold colours and complex combinations of multiple colours. References to the film HER, Burning and some of the colourways and aesthetics in the Series Shameless will create a juxtaposition of coldness and a hint of warmth through the colours.
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Director: Guodong Mao
DOP: Yishu Gong
Producer: Xiangxiang Lin
Editor: Jinfeng Lyu