Please scroll down for the English version - Chinese stories, global empathy: How UNNC student-led short films win international acclaim.

入選21項(xiàng)國(guó)際電影節(jié)，并先后斬獲巴拿馬、阿維尼翁、玻利維亞等重要電影節(jié)的“最佳影片”“最佳劇本”等多項(xiàng)國(guó)際大獎(jiǎng)……《沉睡半生》，這部由寧波諾丁漢大學(xué)與英國(guó)諾丁漢大學(xué)師生聯(lián)合創(chuàng)作、寧諾學(xué)生主導(dǎo)的短片近日喜訊頻傳。究竟是什么讓這部作品破解了跨文化敘事的“密碼”？

獨(dú)特?cái)⑹驴蚣?/strong>

讓中國(guó)故事打動(dòng)全球觀眾

《沉睡半生》講述了一位患有阿爾茨海默病的老人，為尋找祖父遺留的指南針而每日守在一部電梯中的故事。影片細(xì)膩地描繪了家庭面對(duì)親人失憶時(shí)的不同選擇：有人選擇縱容與逃避，有人難以忍受而試圖干預(yù)，也有人以理解和包容回應(yīng)。短短十五分鐘內(nèi)，情感拉扯與矛盾層層遞進(jìn)，讓觀眾感受到親情的重量與人性的溫度。

“讓中國(guó)故事不僅能夠‘走出去’，更能‘走進(jìn)去’，與全球觀眾建立深層情感連接，是這部短片在國(guó)際舞臺(tái)脫穎而出的關(guān)鍵?！睂幉ㄖZ丁漢大學(xué)國(guó)際傳播系系主任、創(chuàng)意產(chǎn)業(yè)與跨媒體副教授Filippo Gilardi認(rèn)為。長(zhǎng)期以來，許多中國(guó)電影難以打動(dòng)國(guó)際觀眾，挑戰(zhàn)不僅在于敘事結(jié)構(gòu)和文化差異，更在于缺少兼具本土根基與全球視野的創(chuàng)作者。

為此，寧諾研究團(tuán)隊(duì)在分析多部曾在釜山、倫敦、戛納等國(guó)際電影節(jié)獲獎(jiǎng)的中國(guó)短片基礎(chǔ)之上，創(chuàng)造性地構(gòu)建出一套提升作品國(guó)際吸引力的創(chuàng)作框架，并將其應(yīng)用于《沉睡半生》。研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，能夠引發(fā)國(guó)際共鳴的影片往往聚焦家庭、成長(zhǎng)與抗?fàn)幍热祟惞餐ㄇ楦?，并結(jié)合象征性符號(hào)和經(jīng)典敘事結(jié)構(gòu)，實(shí)現(xiàn)跨文化情感共通。例如，“祖?zhèn)髦改厢槨毕笳饔洃浥c傳承，“電梯囚籠”具象化主角的困境。影片對(duì)聲音等細(xì)節(jié)的精準(zhǔn)把控，也進(jìn)一步增強(qiáng)了情感張力和觀影體驗(yàn)。

這一研究成果也在寧諾的教學(xué)中得到實(shí)踐，并融入最新開設(shè)的數(shù)字影視制作碩士專業(yè)課程。學(xué)生在學(xué)習(xí)這套經(jīng)實(shí)踐檢驗(yàn)的敘事方法同時(shí)，以此為基礎(chǔ)創(chuàng)作原創(chuàng)劇本并拍攝短片，進(jìn)一步提升專業(yè)能力與跨文化敘事技巧。

高端設(shè)備賦能

鼓勵(lì)學(xué)生勇于創(chuàng)作

寧諾在影視制作教學(xué)設(shè)施上持續(xù)進(jìn)行投入，打造世界一流的創(chuàng)作環(huán)境，讓學(xué)生能夠?qū)?chuàng)意轉(zhuǎn)化為專業(yè)水準(zhǔn)的影像作品，并有機(jī)會(huì)在國(guó)際電影節(jié)中亮相?！冻了肷肪褪且粋€(gè)成功的案例，也為寧諾的影視制作教育發(fā)展注入新的動(dòng)力。

今年二月，寧諾與電影技術(shù)先驅(qū)阿萊（ARRI）共建的亞洲首個(gè)ARRI標(biāo)準(zhǔn)虛擬制作與動(dòng)作捕捉實(shí)驗(yàn)室正式揭幕。實(shí)驗(yàn)室配備實(shí)時(shí)環(huán)境投影LED墻，并搭載ARRI Alexa 35與Alexa Mini-LF攝影系統(tǒng)等先進(jìn)技術(shù)，助力培養(yǎng)新一代影視人才。

早在實(shí)驗(yàn)室成立前，《沉睡半生》就使用了ARRI Alexa Mini-LF攝影系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行拍攝。寧諾影視制作研究所聯(lián)合主任、ARRI認(rèn)證攝影系統(tǒng)培訓(xùn)師Levi Dean博士介紹，即便大多數(shù)學(xué)生是首次參與電影制作，影片依然取得了令人矚目的成績(jī)，阿萊設(shè)備在其中發(fā)揮了關(guān)鍵作用。

“例如，阿萊相機(jī)能夠以原始視頻格式錄制影像，這一專業(yè)格式在技術(shù)和創(chuàng)意上都具有高度靈活性。由于可捕捉未經(jīng)壓縮的傳感器原始數(shù)據(jù)，這為后期調(diào)色與曝光調(diào)整提供了更大空間，讓學(xué)生們大膽嘗試、進(jìn)行創(chuàng)意探索，并深入體驗(yàn)高端影視制作環(huán)境。”

寧諾數(shù)字影視制作碩士專業(yè)學(xué)生劉禹德表示，“在課堂，我們不僅有機(jī)會(huì)親身學(xué)習(xí)并操作業(yè)界領(lǐng)先的阿萊設(shè)備，熟悉拍攝流程，在老師的專業(yè)指導(dǎo)下讓課堂變成拍攝的片場(chǎng)，更重要的是真正深入理解電影創(chuàng)作的邏輯，并學(xué)會(huì)和團(tuán)隊(duì)協(xié)作。在集體創(chuàng)作短片的過程中，每個(gè)人都肩負(fù)不同角色——導(dǎo)演、編劇、制片、攝影、燈光或美術(shù)。每一次合作、每一次嘗試，都是一次重新認(rèn)識(shí)自我與突破邊界的過程。寧諾開放的學(xué)習(xí)氛圍和創(chuàng)新理念，讓我更加堅(jiān)定了用鏡頭向觀眾講好故事、傳遞真摯情感的信心。”

Chinese stories, global empathy: How UNNC student-led short films win international acclaim

The short film Half the World is Sleeping (2024), created by a team of staff and students from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) and the University of Nottingham UK (UNUK), has taken the global film festival circuit by storm. Having competed in over 100 international festivals, it has received 21 official selections and won awards for “Best Film” and “Best Screenplay” in Panama, France, and Bolivia. But what makes this short film so effective in capturing the essence of cross-cultural storytelling?

A unique narrative framework that makes Chinese stories resonate globally

The film tells the story of Elsa Potts, an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s, who spends her days in an elevator searching for the compass left by her grandfather. It delicately portrays her family’s response to her memory loss: her daughter Sarah remains numb and detached, Ian tries to intervene, while James responds with empathy and compassion. Within just fifteen minutes, the story layers emotional tension and conflict, evoking both the profound weight of familial bonds and the tender warmth of human connection.

“The key to this short film standing out on the international stage is not just that it allows a Chinese story to ‘go out,’ but that it allows it to ‘reach in’, establishing deep, universal emotional connections with audiences around the world,” said Dr Filippo Gilardi, Head of the School of International Communications and Associate Professor in Creative Industries and Transmedia at UNNC.

Dr Gilardi further explained that, historically, many Chinese films have struggled to resonate emotionally with global audiences, not only because of narrative and cultural differences but also due to a shortage of filmmakers capable of bridging local identity with global sensibility.

In a bid to support talent development in China, the UNNC research team identified a noteworthy trend in 2022, when three Chinese short films gained significant recognition at major international festivals — including Busan International Film Festival; BFI London Film Festival and 75th Cannes Film Festival. In analysing these award-winning works, the researchers found that they shared common narrative patterns grounded in universal human experiences such as family, growth, and struggle. By emphasising and exploring values such as family harmony, professional dedication, and cultural belonging —and by employing symbolic imagery with a classical narrative structure — these films achieved cross-cultural emotional resonance. Precise attention to elements such as sound design further enhanced their emotional impact and viewing experience.

These research findings have been integrated into UNNC’s teaching and embedded within its newly launched MA in Digital Screen Production programme. Students not only learn this internationally tested narrative method but also apply it to develop their own original scripts and produce short films, strengthening both their practical skills and cross-cultural storytelling abilities.

Cutting-edge equipment enhances students’ professional skills

Aligned with this research-led approach, UNNC continues to invest in new production facilities, creating a world-class environment where students can bring their ideas to life, produce films to professional standards, and compete at international festivals. The success of Half the World is Sleeping further reinforces this momentum and highlights an exciting future for screen production at UNNC.

In February this year, UNNC unveiled Asia’s first ARRI Virtual Production (VP) and Motion Capture (MC) Studio — a milestone achievement in its partnership with ARRI, global leaders in film technology. The studio, equipped with cutting-edge tools such as real-time LED projection walls and ARRI’s Alexa 35 and Alexa Mini LF camera systems, aims to nurture the next generation of film talent right here at UNNC.

Even before the studio’s official launch, Half the World is Sleeping was filmed using the school’s ARRI Alexa Mini LF camera system. Despite most students participating in filmmaking for the first time, the project achieved impressive results — with ARRI film technology playing a key role.

Dr Levi Dean, Co-Director of the Institute of Screen Production and a Certified ARRI Camera Systems Trainer, explained that ARRI cameras can record in ARRIRAW, a professional format valued for the technical and creative flexibility it provides. By capturing uncompressed sensor data, ARRIRAW gives filmmakers far greater latitude when adjusting colour and exposure in post-production, enabling students to experiment, take creative risks, and build confidence in their ability to operate within a high-end film production environment.

“At UNNC, we not only gain hands-on experience with industry-leading ARRI equipment and learn the filming workflow, but, more importantly, we develop a deep understanding of the logic of filmmaking and the power of collaboration,” said Yude Liu, a first-year student on the MA in Digital Screen Production programme.

“During the collaborative short film project, everyone takes on different roles — director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, lighting designer, or art designer. Every collaboration, every experiment, is an opportunity to explore oneself and expand one’s horizons. UNNC’s open and innovative learning environment has strengthened my belief in the power of film to tell stories to the world with heartfelt emotion.”

圖文來源：Andy Wang，寧波市微電影協(xié)會(huì)

電子編輯：Suri An

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