I Wanted To Preserve The Less Remembered Corners Of The City: Linhan Zhang On His Short "The Last Ferry from Grass Island"
Linhan Zhang was a film and television undergraduate at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He was one of the fifteen 2017-2018 Sundance Ignite Fellows, and one of the twenty recipients of the 2019 Adobe Creativity Scholarship. The Last Ferry from Grass Island marks his second film. This beautifully shot live-action short film will receive its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival and is the first film from Hong Kong to be screened at this prestigious film festival.
A Hong Kong hitman retires as a fisherman on the peaceful Grass Island. One day, his Chinese apprentice arrives, tasked to kill him before the last ferry departs.
The film was shot during the Hong Kong protests, and is seeks to bring something fresh to the Hong Kong hitman genre. We had the opportunity to chat with Linhan about the film, its origins, making history, and much much more!
You made a bit of history with your short with its inclusion in the Tribeca Film Festival premieres. It must be a tremendous feeling having a short accepted to any festival, but making history, how does that feel?
It feels great to make history.
I really like the concept of the film and how it takes a genre that’s typically just associated with action and uses it to more contemplative and profound purposes. Where did the concept for this project come from?
I am a fan of Hong Kong cinema. The hitman genre has been explored by many great directors like Johnnie To and John Woo. It is difficult for me to innovate in this genre if I follow their footsteps. So, I shifted my inspirations to the emerging Greek cinema, specifically for their deadpan comedy and absurdity.
You were filming the short during the Hong Kong riots. What was it like filming during that turbulent time, and how did the protests impact the shoot?
There was always a sense of uneasiness in between takes, as we follow diligently on the latest news. However, we were fortunate to be shooting on a small island far away from the city, so the production was smooth.
The cinematography from Giorgos Valsamis is truly stunning. How did the two of you get connected and what was the collaboration process like for you two?
I met Giorgos through my director friend Vasilis Kekatos back when we were Sundance Fellows in 2017. Last year they made a short film The Distance Between Us and the Sky which won Palme D’or at Cannes. Giorgos found Hong Kong’s archipelagos similar to the islands of Greece but they have very different cultures. He is able to notice things on the island that I take for granted. In a parallel way, our collaboration is based on fusing our filmmaking styles together.
The use of 4:3 was an interesting choice that subtly reinforced the walls that were closing in around the film’s protagonist. Was the aspect ratio built into your initial concept for the project, or did that come out of the collaboration process?
The use of 4:3 fits the rustic look of the island. Also, because most of the scenes happen inside the cramped house, having a wide aspect ratio would result in a lot of wasted space. It was also easier to hide the crew with a narrower ratio.
Most of the film consists of locked down compositions, with the exception of one important moment of camera movement. How do you approach a story as a director, and what’s your process for creating a visual language for a story?
I first obtained an impression of the fishermen houses on the island. Then I write a story with the space I imagined. Eventually when we find the shooting house, I tweak the actions based on its specific layouts and directions.
Again, I used static shots as an expansion to the Hong Kong hitman genre. Most hitman films I’ve watched are frenetic with their camera movements, paired with on screen violence. So, I attempted the opposite.
The location of Grass Island adds a lot of weight to the story, since its population of fisherman has diminished over the years because the next generation has chosen to work in the city instead of carrying the family tradition. Outside of the inherent symbolism, what drew you to the island?
As one of Asia’s cultural melt pot, Hong Kong has a rich history. But we often focus only on its urban environment. Even Hong Kong filmmakers seldom explore what is outside of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. I wanted to preserve the less remembered corners of the city, and to sketch a more complete picture of who we were before.
Let’s talk actors. How did you did you find your cast?
Our actor Tai Bo was a founding member of the original 1976 Jackie Chan Stunt Team. He’s been making Hong Kong style action films for a long time. He agreed to work on this short because it presents a vastly different take on the traditional action films.
Our actress Wang Yang was referred to me by an NYU graduate filmmaker, who casted her in a great short film called What Do You Know About the Water and the Moon. I casted her out of instinct.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
I hope the film brings the audiences a fresh perspective on their perception of Hong Kong, as well as a new look in the hitman genre.
Are there any new projects you’re currently working on?
The pandemic has slowed my projects down, but it is a good time for writing new stories. We will see what a few weeks of quarantine can produce.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!