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LAST CASTING CALL

世界首映 Cao Xian | 2023 | | 62min | Fiction
Cao Xian丨Huang Xinyi丨Yun Kai丨Yu Jianfan丨Wang Wenbin丨Zhang Shuyuan丨Qu Qiufan丨Zhao Jiayi丨Peng Chen丨Guo Xuchen

Synopsis

After 5 years of pursuing dream as an actress in Beijing but got nothing in return, Chen Meng finally decided to leave this city with her minuture German Schnauzer puppy River. Before she leaves, she surprisingly got an audition call from a female new director’s debut film. Will this film be Meng’s so-called Big Break? Where would she go after this last casting call?



《试镜》导演照片

Cao Xian

Cao Xian, Chinese actress, born in 1994. I came to US at 15.4 years in religious high school with restrictions led to identity crisis as a young girl. In senior year I took an entry level filmmaking class, that’s where I found my passion of film when I was 18, after a crazy and violent adolescent rebellion filled with movies and art. I studied Acting and Psychology in a Liberal Arts school in Southern California. I also went to acting workshop in Hollywood, where I learned to capture the most nuanced human behavior. After came back to Beijing in 2016 to pursue my dream career, I worked as actor in various different films. I struggled with severe reverse culture shock but my desire of telling a story from the bottom of my heart never fades away, the desire of finding who I am and my relationship with this world.


Director's statement

In my chaotic adolescence, I had nobody. Nobody was there for me, for anything. After came to Beijing in 2016 I started as an extra in background. I struggled to a point that I almost forgot who I am. Should I keep going or should I just quit? This film is what I and many of my friends experienced as both an actress and a woman. Millions of auditions to get one tiny tiny, role, cyber-bully like we don’t have feelings. How do we protect ourselves from this world? How do we find ourselves? It broke me into pieces I can’t even find. I cut my soul into 2 pieces in this film. A new director trying to find her own people; an actress struggling to find validations and dream.

《试镜》