Angel of Nanjing gets its New Jersey Premiere on Friday, September 18, 2015 at the New Jersey Film Festival at Rutgers University!
Here is a brief interview with Angel of Nanjing Co-director Jordan Horowitz:
Nigrin: The Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing is one of the most famous sites in China. It is also the site where countless numbers of people commit suicide every year. For more than a decade, Chen Si has been patrolling this bridge, offering counsel and aid to those who intend to end their lives. Incredibly, he has now helped hundreds of people, who were on the brink of suicide, to find their way back to life. Your film Angel of Nanjing is a powerful and moving documentary film that chronicles Chen’s incredible work. How did you come together to make this film? How long did it take you to make it?
Horowitz: I first found out about Chen when a friend sent me a small article that was written about him online. I was immediately captivated by his story and knew it was something that had to be told. Since I knew nothing about China I decided I need a partner. Having known Frank (Frank Ferendo, the other Co-Director of this film) for a while I asked him if he wanted to get involved and he immediately said yes. The film took almost 5 years to complete. A big part of that time was spent in post production. In order to edit we had to translate everything into English and then subtitle all the footage, which turned out to be enormously time-consuming.
Nigrin: Did you have difficulty making this film in China given their restricted filming policies? Have you been able to screen this film in China?
Horowitz: We made this film without government permission of any kind. The process of getting permission to film in China is very complicated, especially when dealing with a subject matter such as this, so we decided to just take a chance and see what happens. Luckily we never encountered any difficulties with the government during production. We haven't yet been able to screen the film in China but we are very hopeful that we will someday get to do that with Chen personally in attendance to see the impact his efforts have had on viewers.
Nigrin: The New Jersey Film Festival jury found your film to be quite moving and inspirational. Have audiences felt the same way about your film?
Horowitz: We've been very fortunate in that we've had great responses from audiences all across the country. People from all over have been very inspired by Chen's actions.
Nigrin: Were there any memorable stories in getting the film finished or any other info about your film you can pass on to us?
Horowitz: One day after Chen had already left the bridge we stumbled onto a man who was giving away his atm password on the phone and was about to jump, and it was on us to save him. That really made me think about the personal responsibility we all share towards one another as human beings, which is what I think is the thing Chen hopes we will be our biggest takeaway from the film. I think if people understand and act on that it will allow his work to continue on long after he’s no longer able to.
Here is a link to the trailer for the Angel of Nanjing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA93svbHgok
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Angel of Nanjing will be screened with an insightful short film Welcome on Sunday, September 27. Here is more info on this program:
Welcome - Serena Dykman (New York, New York) In this poignant short film, Anna, a young doctor working in New York City, is targeted by U.S. immigration after she returns from a humanitarian trip abroad. 2015; 18 min. With an introduction and Q+A session with Director Serena Dykman!
Angel of Nanjing - Jordan Horowitz and Frank Ferendo (Providence, Rhode Island) The Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing is one of the most famous sites in China. It is also the site where countless numbers of people commit suicide every year. For more than a decade, Chen Si has been patrolling this bridge, offering counsel and aid to those who intend to end their lives. Incredibly, he has now helped hundreds of people, who were on the brink of suicide, to find their way back to life. This powerful and profoundly moving documentary film chronicles Si’s incredible work. In Mandarin, subtitled. 2015; 80 min. Co-sponsored by the Rutgers University Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs (GAIA Centers)!
Friday, September 18, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University
71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey
$10=General; $9=Students+Seniors; $8=Rutgers Film Co-op Friends
Information: (848) 932-8482; www.njfilmfest.com
Free Food courtesy of Jimmy Johns of New Brunswick will be given out prior to this screening of the New Jersey Film Festival!
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