Childhood in the House, which received an honorable mention “Independent Shorts Awards” in Los Angles acted by “Zhu Siqi” and directed by “Zhu Yuzhi” is deceptively and convivially simple. A few minutes in the life of a Chinese boy stuck at home. The viewers may get a sense from the outset of the setting and focus on the only character. The audience may also notice the absence of any human connection. The mise-en-scene and lighting and cinematography all point to a secluded life and attempt to break the monotony.
Zhu Yuzhi also directed another short indie film, “Homeless, ” again taking the camera to expose and portray modern Chinese society’s social fabric. Unlike Homeless that focused on the changes in the public sphere and the spiritual decline and alienation, Childhood in the House is more personal. There are still doses and references to technology and its soulless presence but no picturesque of destruction and hectic dystopian urban China. The seclusion may also bring to mind the era of COVID-19 and directors’ meditation on its impact on family lives. The issues and their cinematic portrayal goes much more profound and are penetrating.
The short film has an episodic structure. It starts with the camera showing the doors closed and locked. Next, the protagonist is shown to be engaged in solo writing, playing games, and then biking but seems disconnected from the outside words. He calls up Mommy and Daddy, but it seems they are stuck at work and not back anytime soon. The subtitles and symbolisms as “Celebrate that you won the title of a Happy Baby” are expressive but ironic. Is he really happy or could be happy in the absence of human relations and biking aimlessly in a claustrophobic space called “House.” Is this childhood conducive to a type of personal growth a nation could rely and depends? What is the role of the family in his life? When would they come back? Does he ever see his parents in the course of a day? These are a few quick and unanswered questions that the director makes us see and think?
The film has an optimistic undertone as well. The protagonist wishes to have better teachers in elementary school next year. He must be ready for the coming tests, but the camera shows his aptitude to play the piano. The music speaks volumes of his talents, and what is likely he does to overcome solitude and social isolation. The art that he takes energy and courage could save him in modern China’s absurdity. Further, the camera though mostly static inside, peek outside and shows the light and the butterfly. He can get outside the cage and explore the beauty outside.
In sum, global viewers who are mostly stuck in the same environment and houses as Zhu Siqi would sympathize with the film’s focus, and they may even have their children in the same boat. Some may interpret the film to show us a metaphor for China and its younger generation. It may evoke the one-child-policy and the social repercussions it has imposed on Chinese society. The film may be an apt example and microcosm of life, almost 80 million Chinese teenagers who have the same daily routines and are confronted with an uncertain future. Zhu Yuzhi’s intrusive and static camera narrates a familiar story, becoming both locally and universally widespread.
Grade: A-
© 2020. UniversalCinema Mag.