/QIAN CHANNING MU/ Work Life About
AQUAFLATTER is a surreal experimental short that uses symbolic metaphors to explore the deep conflict between self-awakening and traditional constraints.
It is about a boy seeking self-liberation undergoes his final transformation in a journey torn between familial oppression and his yearning for free will.
Overview
AQUAFLATTER is a symbol-laden surrealist experimental short film that explores the invisible yet profound oppression of family structures and cultural traditions on individual freedom. Centered around a boy yearning to become a blue butterfly, the film constructs a twisted and tense world of growth. Through surreal imagery such as a fishbowl, a blindfolded mother, and a butterfly struggling to emerge from its chrysalis, the film portrays the excessive control and expectations parents impose on children within modern East Asian families.
This repression ultimately shatters the protagonist, torn between self-identity and the crushing weight of familial expectations.
AQUAFLATTER is not only an exploration of growth and resistance but also uses an artistic approach to delve into the conflict between free will and societal expectations. The narrative structure departs from traditional linear logic, combining experimental imagery and a powerful visual style that immerses viewers in an almost dreamlike emotional space. Each scene is filled with multilayered emotional undertones, prompting audiences to reflect—especially on how self-identity can be dismantled and reshaped under external pressures.
Artist/Director's statement
As a creator, I am always contemplating the place of free will within modern social structures. In AQUAFLATTER, I aim to explore the tension between individuality and self-awareness through visual metaphors and psychological symbolism. The film poses a central question: "What is true freedom?" especially when surrounded by the weight of family, culture, and tradition. This struggle propels me to construct a symbolic narrative to illustrate how the individual, yearning to break free, grapples with the crushing force of destiny.
The protagonist’s journey mirrors Sartre's notion that "existence precedes essence." He did not choose his circumstances but is subjected to the control of his family, while his inner desire for self-recognition grows insatiably. This conflict ultimately leads to self-destruction, symbolizing his rebellion against a predetermined "fate." By employing surrealism, I wish to investigate the fundamental clash between the individual and society, particularly when society turns the individual’s will into a tool to be shaped and utilized.
How does one then find a place within this collective consciousness?
AQUAFLATTER serves as a means of introspection, a profound reflection on how personal will fades within the collective consciousness.
I hope that viewers, while engaging with the film, will rethink the relationship between self and society, ultimately discovering a space for their own independent spirit.
Credits
Writer, Director and Editor
Qian Mu
Yanling Yang
Director of Photography and Gaffer
Yilong Xu
Jiayi Wang
Art Director
Yili Ma
Kebei Chen
Boom Operator
Tailai Yi
Kunding Shen
Zhe Wang
Siyuan Gao
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