This month, the New York Film Academy held an event that presented the work of Sun Lijun “Fan Beilu,” which included traditional art and his documentary “Go Together.”
Professor Sun Lijun, vice president of the Beijing Film Academy, is committed to innovation and the training of young Chinese talent. He has made an outstanding contribution to the domestic animation industry. He has participated in the production of many animated films, including “Little Soldier,” “Sunny Story,” “Happy Running,” “Bateelaer Saga,” “Legend of a Rabbit, ” “Fantastic Adventure” and others.
Lijun noted that China is now the second largest movie market in the world behind Hollywood, but could learn more in terms of the quality of the content. According to Lijun, Chinese films are currently “dumplings” compared to American films, which he said were like “big cakes.” He hopes that more American filmmakers, such as the students from the New York Film Academy, will partner with Chinese filmmakers in order to continually improve the quality of the films.
Lijun’s recent documentary “Go Together,” which he screened at NYFA’s theater at 17 Battery Place, tells the story of a group of Chinese filmmakers who show their animated film to underprivileged children in some of the remote areas of China’s Sichuan province.
Produced by and starring Sun Lijun, the film not only shows the whole picture of Sun’s journey with four other team members, but also the magnificent landscape and culture of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Starting in Chengdu and equipped with professional projection equipment, the team brought the magic and joy of the screen to towns on the plateau with an elevation of over 4,000 meters.
More than just showing animated films for the children, Lijun’s actions have attracted tens of thousands of people’s attention through the internet and social media, and has become a charitable activity, which collects donation for the children in Ganzi.