Overseas Guide - 境外之遇 is framed as public service film, designed to help students adjust to life abroad.
We follow Ling as he adjusts to life in a new place . However, Ling's own dreams and nightmares soon begin to interfere with the film, leaving him and the audience increasingly uncertain and adrift.
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SET STILLS
Cast
Sai Wang Lau - 刘世宏
'Ling'
Before beginning his acting career in 2016 Sai was already a successful Petro-Chemical Analyst. He has featured dozens of adverts for companies such as Vodafone, Mac Donald’s and Starbucks as well as several short films, including 'All Under Heaven - 2016. In addition Sai is a master practitioner of Wushu and frequently competes at an international level.
Sofia Furtado
'Lily'
Sofia is a Portuguese actress, recently relocated to Brighton, UK. Sofia has a background in singing, violin, ballet and contemporary dance. She has featured in several short films including the award winning short, Scarlet Days. Her most recent theatre work includes parts in Schiller's Mary Stuart and 'Return to the Forbidden Planet' directed by Mimi Goddard.
Julia Wei - 魏鹃
'Ling's Mother'
Julia is a an actress and model based in Bournemouth, UK. Julia has worked on dozens of film and TV production in the UK and USA. Including The Last Jedi, Dr Strange, Christopher Robin, Dumbo, Rocket man, Malificent, Eastenders, HotelSunset, Strangers and Temple. Julia is also a choreographer and teacher of traditional Tibetan dance and Chinese fan dance.
Yali Mou -
'Dream Girl'
Yali Mou is a Master student in Law currently studying at the University of Sussex, UK. She loves traveling and experiencing new cultures. While Yali has always been a film fan she had never acted before, but her look was perfect for the film. Overseas Guide is her acting debut.
The Film's Creators
Alan Bynre spent most of his 20's in Mainland China and speaks fluent Mandarin. He has a background in comedy and audio fiction, his work often revolves around the odd and mysterious. Overseas Guide is directorial debut.
Alan Byrne
Writer Director
Tony Liang is an award winning Film maker from Guangdong, China. He is earned his masters in film at the University of Sussex,
Brighton, UK. Overseas Guide is his first dual language international film.
Tony Liang 梁鹏宇
Director of Photography
Sound
Zhiyao Xu - 徐知遥
Our Amazing Crew
Key Grip
Elva Yang - 杨璐
Continuity
Yonina Yang - 杨洋
Continuity
Mo Qiu -邱末
Trailer
What people are asking about 'Overseas Guide'
1. What was the inspiration for the film?
The film was inspired by mine and Tony’s experiences living in each others countries. Most films about living as an immigrant focus on the nitty gritty of struggling to integrate, or a kind of ‘Ministry of Tourism’ version of reality. We wanted to make a film that reflected the deeper, stranger and more mysterious aspects of immigration.
2. How did you two meet?
We actually met on a Facebook language exchange group, I was looking to brush up on my Mandarin and Tony wanted to improve his English. We soon discovered we were both obsessed with film making.
3. What kind of budget did you have?
The crazy thing about this film is we had ZERO budget. Myself and Tony were both broke at the time, so all we could really afford were the essentials like permits and food for the crew. Luckily Tony could borrow some gear we needed from University, and I am handy at making DIY equipment. The really amazing part was that, the cast and crew all agreed to work for free, because they believed in the script. We can't begin to express how much it meant to us that such a talented group of people donated their skills to the project.
4. What challenges are there working on a bilingual film set?
Tony and I make a good team because I can almost speak Chinese and he can almost speak English! Most of the crew were bilingual to some extent so we actually managed pretty well. The main problem we faced on set was getting mixed up and speaking the wrong language to the wrong person. I’d forget and give Sofia, who is Portuguese, direction in Chinese instead of English and she’d laugh and say “You're doing it again!”
5. Can you tell us about the symbolism around butterflies and red flowers in the film?
There are definitely recurring symbols and intentional uses of colour in the film. We prefer not to explain our own interpretations too much though. There’s nothing worse than having a film you enjoy ruined by the writer or director telling you what they think it all means! I can tell you the red flower is called a Bi-An-Hua or Red spider lily.
6. Do you think the film will be popular in China?
Chinese speaking audiences are notoriously difficult to crack, and it’s hard to know what will or won’t work. That said, I think there are things in this film that will resonate with Chinese people especially if they have had lived abroad.
7. Is there any political or social message you are trying to convey in the film?
No, not really. There’s nothing wrong with making political of socially motivated films, but I am far more interested in film as a form of art. In the sense that it can communicate and even recreate those strange and mysterious experiences we have in life that cannot be put into words. There is a lot of division in the world today and I think film as art can play a small but significant role in bringing people together, not by giving them direct messages, but by presenting them with strange and beautiful images which hopefully resonate across cultures.
Am I still dreaming?
