"Li Bai’s Premonition"

28 June 2020

3 mins 57s

Me and the Moon

Eight-century Chinese poet Li Bai's 'Drinking Alone in The Moonlight' provides the inspiration for this striking short film. Directed by Rodrigo Saavedra, the piece blends live action and animation to explore the emotions and habits which have ebbed and flowed for us all during a global quarantine.

It's a distinctly artistic examination of isolation, focusing on the wee small hours of the morning - the liminal space in which those living alone are both more disconnected from their surroundings and tuned into themselves than ever. Add in the softening effects of alcohol, and many will have felt the world reduced to just them and the moon during lockdown.

There's a slightly surreal vibe here which keeps the piece, perhaps surprisingly, grounded. There's no gritty depiction of addiction to be found, only the much-needed escapism of separating mind and body in the moonlight. This is thought-provoking work, ethereal and enthralling by turns.

UK

Short Film