Today we’d like to introduce you to Yifu Li.
Yifu, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, the province where Szechuan sauce originated, and also the hometown of pandas. Chengdu is a city famous for its comfortable and relaxed pace of life in Asia. It’s a free environment perfectly suited for art creations. I feel it’s a region exactly like Montmartre in Paris back in the early 1900s, where Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse and their art groups all lived close to each other, exchanging ideas and inspiration. I grew up in this atmosphere surrounded by painters, writers, poets, musicians and designers, which created a desire in me to express my point of view, my ideas as an individual human being. The greatest value in life for me is to create, to offer something special to benefit society. Everyone is born unique and independent, everyone sees the world differently; it can be either a physical world or a spiritual one. If everyone shared their expressions with one another and listened to one another. I’m positive that there would be more mutual, deep understanding in the human race.
I got my Bachelor of Arts degree at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, studying contemporary art, art history, and philosophy. That was also the time I started working as a post-graffiti artist. Street art became my first primary language of creation. With spray painting, I enjoyed spilling my thoughts and colors on the walls as well as canvases. I left numerous murals all over my city. And it did make some impact. We formed a crew and had followers. Graffiti is a reflection and rebellion of the present reality. Also as time flows, ironically, my crew and I even got a chance to be paid by the government to create paint for some neighborhood communities.
I’m also always a person greatly influenced by films. And I gradually realized that a piece of cinema art can access and express more detailed emotions and social significance than a piece of a wall. Films contain the contradictions of human nature, also the spark of our humanity. Imagine we watch a movie about a family or relationship conflict, but it happens in a country in the other hemisphere of the earth, where we have never been – might never go. We have zero idea about that culture or religion, yet we connect with the characters in the film naturally. We can feel how they feel – joys and sorrows. This universal power of film makes me embrace it as a great creative language. The FILM LANGUAGE. This is also the reason I am here, in LA, studying, living, and making films.
Since I decided to focus my passion on cinema, LA is the ideal place to pursue this career, the center of the global industry. Also the sunny, mostly rain-free climate in LA makes it perfect for shooting films on location. I’ve been here for two years, and I love it. Currently, I’m also a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts degree at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, with an emphasis in Film Production and Cinematography. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by a group of talented filmmakers here. Before quarantine, we were literally shooting projects every week. Also, it’s an honor having excellent professors helping me to improve my narrative visual storytelling skills at this film school – like Johnny Jenson ASC, my graduate program mentor, and the camera operator of the masterpiece The Godfather, 1972. There’s a phrase says he: “Life is nothing but pieces of memories.” And filmmaking is a beautiful way to interpret and express memories.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m a cinematographer, writer, and director. Or in other words, a filmmaker. I stand behind the camera and show the audience how the world looks through my eyes. The films I direct have won awards like Best LGBTQ Short, Best Foreign Short, and I won Best Student Director in some film festivals. Specifically, a film I shot as producer and cinematographer on Kodak 16mm film got into Cannes Film Festival this year, the American Pavilion section. Also, I participated in over 50 short film productions in LA in the past two years while I was not directing or doing the photography.
Like I mentioned above, films can connect individuals in the world who might never otherwise meet each other or see how the other lives and feels. One of my favorite directors, Edward Yang, said: “After the birth of cinema, human life extended three times.” In theaters and through screens, we can live the lives of others, experiencing fresh and unique cultures. This is my creative aim as an artist: to bring the spirit of inclusiveness and to allow people to connect to private emotions. The world of cinema is not limited to traditional three-act structures, or hero’s journeys, which are common in blockbusters, but it’s also significant to visualize the true, internal, complex emotional experiences of characters. When we look back to the films we love, it’s the vivid characters we remember first, not the plot details. I prefer character-driven films rather than films in which a cliche story controls the narrative. Our multifaceted humanity is illustrated when characters make complex decisions while facing diverse social situations. We need to feel these characters. I believe that when we film a scene of characters talking, we must never simply shoot the dialogue, but the deeper relationship and subtext between them.
My ideology of making films has to reflect the current social problems. It is often about anti-patriarchal efforts and general human rights, including feminism, sexual identity, and ethnic minorities. Just look at what is happening around us: we’ve had a hard time with this global pandemic, but the fight for human rights – like the BLM movement – continues bravely in the face of opposition. I’m interested in critiquing political and cultural systems, as well as illustrating how and why those systems are not working for everyone. At the same time, I don’t expect my films to provide a single, concrete solution. It’s more important for my audience to think, to feel, and to take action. We need the ability to connect and empathize with someone who might be less privileged than we are. I hope my films can be as honest as possible, pointing out the truth hidden behind current situations.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
As for my graffiti art, they are all done mostly in Asia before I came to the States. Which means it’s not easy for the readers here to find them physically. 🙂 But you’ll get a virtual look on my Instagram in my past posts.
In terms of the films I shot, normally they screen in film festivals only. But since the industry is transforming to react to COVID-19 and social distancing, some of the latest films are distributed online, and some of the festivals have moved online temporarily as well. I will post the link as soon as there’s an update. Also, you can find the screenshots or the teasers on my page.
Speaking of supporting my work, I’d be so glad if you’re interested and watching my films. Also, I’d love to work with other filmmakers around the world, if you have any ideas, scripts, films in development, needing discussion, or looking for a cinematographer, feel free to shoot me an email or Instagram message. I’m starting to set up my Vimeo page, too. I also work shooting music videos as well.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
You must care about humanity and have a desire to respond to all the unfairness that exists around us. You must have a clear and sharp mind, as well as a firm perspective, to make a beam of light cutting through the mist of this chaotic world. Like I said above, we should be honest with the world and with ourselves, never trying to escape, but facing the truth. You have to establish emotional connections with others and build deep, mutual understanding.
I remember there was a Korean film about child sexual abuse ten years ago, based on true social affairs that occurred in Seoul. Five million Koreans went to theaters to see the film, creating a social movement to protest against the youth education system – which had a loophole for some of the teachers who sexually assaulted elementary school students. The film and its audience spurred the government to amend the law, as well as introduce new policies to prevent such tragedies. Film does change the world. As an artist: be brave, be a pioneer who expresses, fights, and never ceases to make the world better.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yifu818/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yifu.li.818
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10658915/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Image Credit:
Sena Lee, Cynthia Zhong, Yuan Hong
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