“The Sound of Falling” is an experimental short written and directed by Chien-Yu Lin, a Taiwan born, Colombia based visual artist/filmmaker. In 2018 she graduated from the London Film School, where she made this film. It won an award in the LAB-competition at the 2019 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the biggest short film festival in the world.
“The Sound of Falling” is screening at Across Asia Film Festival
“The Sound of Falling” poses on a number of universal questions about life. What makes us happy? Is it the security of daily routines or do we need to shake things up every now and then and take a leap of faith? Does stability trump the chance of losing control or do we get frustrated by the predictability of such a life? And in 30 years' time, will we look back and regret the road not taken? To answer these questions and give them a context, Chien-Yu Lin looks at a day in the life of a tangerine farmer who decides to go to the city to take part in a drug trial. This switch of locations also raises questions on belonging and the importance of our environment for our happiness.
Chien-Yu Lin has a background in fashion design and at the London Film School, she originally focused on production design. This interest shows in this film's mise-en-scène. “The Sound of Falling” opens with a number of interior shots of the farmer's house, that recall Ozu. The shots are well-balanced, and the lighting gives them an almost poetic quality. Yet they also serve the purpose of introducing the protagonist as we can deduct a lot about him even before we actually see him at work in his tangerine grove. The exterior shots of the countryside are framed with attention to detail and the bright orange of the tangerines sticks out against the winter colors. The fresh colors of the fruit suggest the attraction of the world we know, but at the same time images of rotting and moldy tangerines suggest this way of living has run its course. In contrast, the hospital shots have a white-blueish hue giving them an almost sterile feel, contrasting with the decay and offering something new but at the same time, missing the warm feeling of belonging from the earlier scenes.
As there is no music and little dialogue, Chien-Yu Lin relies on the sound design to carry the movie and to add extra meaning to it. In the countryside, we hear quiet sounds of birds and other animals, of the river and the farmer at work. The city and the hospital, however, are bustling with noises of traffic, people, electronics and machinery. These are mostly diegetic sounds that add a feeling of reality to the images. However, one moment in the city sequence sticks out: when a ball falls, the film goes almost silent and after, we hear the sound of the river accompanied by a voice on an intercom explaining the rules of the drug trail. The combination with images of blood in a tube suggests the drug trial is now part of the farmer's routine.
“The Sound of Falling” is a poetic film that offers room for contemplation about not just the protagonist's life but our own as well. Chien-Yu Lin manages to put together a multilayered story where details carry meaning without things being all too obvious. In all, an interesting short film that could herald the beginning of a promising career in film.
