ANDANTE CANTABILE

.

In nineteen sixty China, Jing, a fourteen year old girl, is secretly taught piano by Bin, a very popular, western educated Chinese piano instructor. During a lesson of Tchaikovsky, Pan, a Red Guardsman, catches Jing and Bin. In addition, their fatal mistake was accidentally kicking Mao’s Zedong’s and breaking it. Shortly after, Bin is executed while Jing is released and her reputation is ruined. Years later Jing travels to the United States to continue studying piano and comes under the tutelage of Michael Paris. She becomes an accomplished piano player and begins tutoring a boy named Jerry. By happenstance, Jing sees a picture of Jerry’s father. The picture turns out to be Pan, the Red Guardsman responsible for Bin’s execution. Months later on the day she is to give a piano recital, Jing murders Pan at his home but write a letter to the police admitting her crime. Before she is arrested she plays Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile for her instructor Michael.

ANDANTE CANTABILE was Directed by: Yue Liu

ZoieFest 2004 presents 2ND PLACE DRAMATIC SHORT - ANDANTE CANTABILE

DIRECTORS BIO:

.

Director Yueh Liu’s Autobiography/Filmography

 

Growing up in China there were very few theaters. They were outdoors, usually many miles away and ran without schedules. The same films might be repeated over several years. Chinese people had memorized the words for every movie and most of them idolized the few actors working at that time. I, on the other hand, had memorized and idolized the directors’ names.

Since I was a little girl, I have wanted to be the center of attention. I would lead and organize my friends and neighbors to tell stories through plays. My dream at that time was that one day I would make films so that my friends and family could see a new movie every week. My father encouraged me to follow my dream and one day it would come true. He is a good and honest man and always told the truth, no matter the consequences. One day he suggested to a friend that Chairman Mao SeTung was just a human being and therefore fallible as all human beings. He was arrested, sent to prison and served a 10-year sentence. I was forced to discontinue my studies and began work as a laborer in order to help my mother to support their family. I would save every penny to go to the theater to see the few movies available. Sometimes I couldn’t afford the ticket, but sneaked into the theater. If I were found with no ticket, I would be beaten, then I would be kicked out of the theater. But, nothing could stop my dream. While my father was in the prison, I didn’t learn anything from state-sponsored schools and books. I did, however, acquire a tremendous amount of knowledge from my life experiences. I now benefits from the many powerful true stories I had experienced and I has become a good teller of stories. This led me to my first work in the film industry as a screenwriter.


The Awakening
In 1976 the chaotic time ended when Chairman Mao passed away. Chinese government announced my father ‘s rehabilitation, and was released. Shortly afterwards, I enrolled in a University in Beijing as an English major.
After graduating in 1988, I began her career in filmmaking. I was lucky to be the assistant of a famous director. In order to survive in the film industry confidently, I took some classes in Academy of Drama Center in Beijing.

In 1993, I was the screenwriter, director and producer of a television series. This love story series, which was based on my own love experiences, was released on the main China-controlled television station during prime time and was very popular among young people.

In 1996, I was hired as a screenwriter and director for a television movie called “Farewell Moscow”. I led my production team to tape twenty-two episodes, all on location in Moscow.

In 1997, I became a partner in an entertainment company: Simon Entertainment Company, involved in making commercials, television and motion pictures. I was a supervisor in the television and motion pictures department.
In 1998, I adapted a popular novel and directed it to another series, “The Legend of Tea”. This was a challenge for me because it covered almost five generations of a tea making family. Love, hate, relationships, wars and social reform were the threads that sewed the fabric of this time span.

In 1998, I adapted the novel, “wealthy Family”, to a television series. She sold this series to Chinese Central Television. This series was taped in 1999.

The Road Less Traveled

In 1999, I immigrated the United States. In 2000, I started to pursue my Master degree of motion picture and television in the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. In 2003, I made a short film “Andante Cantabile”. The Victoria International Film &Video Festival of Canada selected this short as a competition one in 2004.


 

 
 

 
[ Back to top ]