Documentary Film on International Students in Shanghai Earns Accolades

The heartwarming documentary film "The Moon is Yours," which follows the real-life experiences of international students in Shanghai, has garnered widespread acclaim since its official release last month.

Directed by Vincent Z, the 102-minute film has received nominations for the Golden Seagull Awards in the International Communication category and the Specially Recommended Director award at the 4th Chinese Documentary Film Festival.

It has also been permanently preserved by the National Audiovisual Heritage Preservation Project, an important cultural initiative dedicated to the restoration and preservation of valuable audiovisual materials.

The film follows the journeys of six international students as they navigate academic pursuits, career aspirations and personal growth in Shanghai.

Among them is Vladimir Melnikov of Russia, who strives to balance his studies with making a living before ultimately building a career in the city. Pascal Kwangwari of Zimbabwe faces research setbacks that prompt him to reassess his direction and explore new opportunities in China. Meanwhile, Filip Komsic of Croatia traces his academic journey from Fudan University to Tsinghua University, navigating the challenges of job hunting while pursuing his aspirations.

At a recent film salon, Zhu Jia, an official with Fudan University's School of Journalism, shed light on the origins of the documentary, describing it as a collaborative effort involving faculty members, students and alumni. Through the school's Audiovisual Production Workshop, students gained hands-on experience in the entire filmmaking process, from initial planning and filming to post-production and release.

Director Z, an alumnus of Fudan University's School of Journalism, spent more than three years making the documentary, with over 100 students involved in filming throughout the production. The team collected more than 1,200 hours of footage. Reviewing the raw footage alone took four and a half months, while the editing process spanned seven months.

Z said the workshop was not intended to have students take full responsibility for making a film, since a professional team remained in charge of the production, with the director guiding the process from beginning to end.

"Students, however, can get involved at any stage of the production," he added. "We also made the most of their distinct strengths. Since our subjects were also students, having student crew members interact with them helped put them at ease. They were more likely to feel relaxed and comfortable around people their own age who shared similar experiences."

Professor Liu Haibo, a film expert at Shanghai University and president of the Shanghai Film Critics Society, noted that the film's emotional resonance lies in its authentic portrayal of the struggles faced by its main protagonists – challenges in their studies, careers and family lives.

"The film is not about how happy they are living in China, but about how they, too, face difficulties here," he said. "What moves us is that we all face struggles of our own and can empathize with theirs. That is what makes this film so valuable and touching."