Zhen-Zhen 2022
Documentary

10‘09”

"Zhen Zhen" began with "street shooting." I used the concept of "That-has-been"

mentioned by Roland Barthes as the background for the creation, attempting to interview the local residents of Wanhua in Taiwan. I asked whether the stores in the photos still existed, and through casual conversations with the locals as if I were at their homes, I expanded the documentary to explore the passage of time, the epidemic, the situation at the time, and the feelings of the residents.

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"Zhen Zhen" not only represents people but also stores, regions, and eras. The initial concept was not a documentary. Originally, the plan was to step out of my comfort zone as a woman, hold a camera, enter the red-light district of Wanhua in Taiwan, and capture the locals' reactions to the camera. The production lasted about six months.

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However, due to an accidental traffic accident and the impact of covid19, the way of interpreting the footage drastically changed, leading me to remake the work. I mixed photos taken before and after the pandemic, integrating casual conversations with the locals of Wanhua and my reflections on the entire event into the storyline of the video.

 

"Zhen Zhen" became the catalyst for me to begin making documentaries. Through this project,I gained the opportunity to witness perspectives beyond my own comfort zone, to see how people struggle to live in their own ways, and I was given a chance to reflect on my own life. I wish to convey these different perspectives to the audience, exploring the differences and diversity between people, and through this, creating dialogue, which has become a major driving force in my creative work.