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Buried in the Snow

Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU

  • Taiwan, United States
  • 2025
  • 20min
  • G
  • DCP
  • color, b&w

World Premiere

Synopsis

The world above ground and the world below.

Below the horizon, there exists a world that belongs neither to the present, future, nor past, surrounded by boulders and waterfalls, where departed life secretly continues its activities. The spirits of those atomic life forms flow in the meandering water, formless yet remembering the past.

Above the horizon, all things that continue to live continue to live. A gust of wind blows, a flurry of snow falls, waiting for winter to pass, waiting for the sun to rise. Memory, like a giant tendril, rises from the ground, its roots seeping into the soil with the melting snow.

Having been here, yet never truly here.

This is a film poem commemorating the passing of a dear friend from my youth. The poem was hand-engraved on a 400-foot-long roll of film.​ 

Director's Statement

I wanted to write a poem about an unforgettable friendship from my youth, with someone with whom I can no longer be in touch, at least in reality. I first improvised with ink on film. The intuitive brushstrokes reflected the energy and flow of memory; then, I inscribed the poem directly onto a 400-foot roll of film and hand-developed the English translation. During the process, I stumbled upon some precious footage from an educational institution that was trying to clean up its library of old, damaged, and unwanted films. I juxtaposed this footage with a large painting I created, where two worlds coexist. One is the underground world, nurturing and protecting mysterious, fragile microscopic life forms, allowing them to continue living, even if they might appear dead in reality. Above the horizon is a place closer to reality, where a life form grows upwards, reaching for the sky. I floated and sank in the sea of memories.

schedule

Code Time Theater Grade
Asian Shorts 3045 2026-08-22 | 16:40 - 18:17 MEGABOX Sinchon 7 GV
Asian Shorts 3106 2026-08-25 | 12:30 - 14:07 MEGABOX Sinchon 8 GV

Director

  • Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU

    Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu is an artist, filmmaker, and writer whose work is grounded in experimental literature, the conceptual avant-garde, and philosophy. Liu's works are concerned with materiality in different contexts and eras, as well as its transformation, symbolism, decay, and emotional resonance. Her films have been shown at international film festivals and museums.

Credit

  • ProducerCherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU
  • Cast Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU
  • Screenwriter Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU
  • Cinematographer Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU
  • Editor Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU
  • Sound Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin LIU