Despite having a dreamlike quality by nature, since it deals with often multi-layered images, very few directors manage to adequately combine the narrative of a movie to a dream or our imagination. The results are sometimes not just confusing, but also fail to fully grasp the vastness of dreams as a blend of our experiences, our longings and our subconscious. Nevertheless, this kind of experiment is exactly what Chinese filmmaker Zhang Chi had in mind when he had the idea for his feature debut “In Search of Echo”. As memory, dream and reality often blend together, the form and the narrative, as the director explains, should reflect this which might be irritating, but emotionally quite rewarding. Although this might sound overly ambitious, Zhang Chi has ultimately managed to direct a film whose themes and visuals are not only quite intriguing, but also invite its viewer to embark on a journey into the main character's perception of the world as well as his quest to answer the question of who he is and who he has become.
“In Search of Echo” is screening at CineCina iFest
After an argument about a certain job offer, the wife of struggling actor Mr Zhu has gone missing. In order to find her, he journeys to her hometown on Shengsi Island where he hopes to get at least some clues about her whereabouts. However, apart from a few inhabitants, who have remained on the island during the off-season, he rarely meets anyone as he walks through the small village and the nearby harbor, meticulously photographing the people he meets and the places he goes to.
As he becomes attracted to the local primary school teacher and visits the only nightclub in town, practically the only place for entertainment this time of year, he finds himself at the center of a love triangle, the search for a missing Buddha head and, last but not least, of events which might just unravel where his wife is and what he did to make her leave him.
Considering Zhang Chi already mentions the various visual layers of his debut feature, the stylistic approach clearly takes center stage in “In Search of Echo”. While the narrative begins rather simply, with Mr Zhu arriving at the island, questioning several of its inhabitants and finding a place to stay, the audience quickly finds itself having difficulty distinguishing memory, reality and dream within the perception of the protagonist. Director Zhang Chi and editor Xu Dadou artistically combine these layers, highlighting the struggle of the main character, unable to figure out what the truth is and what he maybe hides from himself to protect his mind from a bitter reality.
Additionally, “In Search of Echo” makes efficient use of its setting as it emphasizes the dream-like notion of the narrative. Shot in Shengsi Island, the various locations, the hotel, the dance club and, most significantly, the harbor create a fitting stage for a story of man who has not just lost his wife, but also himself. Clinging on the various stories other inhabitants tell him, the story of the lost head of a Buddha statue and the bittersweet account of the hotel owner, expressing her longing for the past, Mr Zhu (and thus the viewer) manages to create a maze of experiences, moments and fantasies, both intriguing and disturbing at the same time.
In the end, “In Search for Echo” by Zhang Chi is a skillfully shot and magnificently crafted debut feature, holding a lot of promise for the things to come from this young filmmaker. It is without a doubt a feature demanding analytical attention and discussion for its multi-leveled narrative and aesthetics certainly carry a lot of meaning, showing the complexities of the disturbed and confused mind of the main character.
