IMG_4740
IMG_4742
IMG_4743
IMG_4744
IMG_4745

Kids of Paradise

China Premiere Sha Mo | 2021 | China | 13min | Short
SHAMO丨WANG ZHIYONG丨HU XIAOSHI丨SUN PENGYANG丨SHIDU LINZU

Synopsis

The forgotten kids of paradise stage a crazy noir fable.



Processed with VSCO with a8 preset Processed with VSCO with 3 preset

Sha Mo

Sha Mo, a new prominent director, got his bachelor's and master's degree in Directing from Beijing Film Academy. In 2017, his first web series, MY HUCKLEBERRY FRIENDS, became a blockbuster of the year and ranked 8.6/10 in Douban. Mo's directorial debut feature, LOVE WILL TEAR US APART, was released on May 20, 2021 and reached 381 million at the box office. In 2021, he won Best Youth Director of the Year in iQIYI's reality show, ACTION! In the same year, he made his first attempt to shoot a short film, KIDS OF PARADISE, with smartphones.


Director's statement

KIDS OF PARADISE is a fairy-tale short film. It focuses on the story of Douzi, a kid being bullied in class, to discuss the realistic situation of the individuals from vulnerable groups in the community. The core idea is that though we are different from one another, we can choose to be kind and friendly. The story was filmed in black and white, and the frame is 4:3. I intend to pursue a concise style of expression, using expressionist audio-visual language, a unique narrative angle, and a childlike artistic method to show the individual’s situation in the collective.