Corpse Fishing: Meet Jean Liu
How would you describe Corpse Fishing?
Corpse Fishing is about the search for closure. It’s the story of a young girl, in a near future world affected by climate change, who is looking for her missing father.
What were some of the challenges of working on the short?
The entire film takes place outside, mostly on the water so finding locations was definitely the toughest part of this shoot – cheating LA for central China is no easy task! I initially thought the issue would be that LA was too dry but actually we had the opposite problem. We were coming off one of the wettest winters LA had ever experienced and the record levels of rain flooded out lots of areas and made them unpredictable or unsafe for shooting. At 5 months pregnant I cycled up and down the LA river, from Burbank to Long Beach, scouting for the perfect location. Even when we thought we had found somewhere good, the permits fell through the day before shooting and we had to scramble to find somewhere new.
The whole crew, but especially Pip (cinematographer) and Dong (production design), had to rally and work with the new location with no notice. I’m so glad that we stuck with it otherwise we never would have got that final overhead shot on the rocks.
What is one part of the film you are most looking forward to seeing?
Something that I’m always paying attention to when watching in a theatre is audience laughter. I try to balance lightness and darkness in my work, Corpse Fishing especially so, and it’s always nerve-wracking but exciting to watch a film with a live audience for the first time and to hear if the comedy lands.
Why do you think it is so important to focus on the topics of grief and longing, especially since it is such a common thing people face?
I feel that grief and longing are often expected to be experienced in private. There is an expectation that they should be overcome, like a problem, and that only once they have been addressed can we arrive at the neutral terminal destination. I wanted to challenge that notion by contrasting a character who is content to have his whole life is steeped in grief, both his own and other people’s. with someone who is obsessed with fighting her mourning.
What is one thing you hope people learn from this film?
That corpse fishing is a real job! And that everyone can find dignity, humour, as well as monotony in their work, no matter how macabre or unappealing the work might seem to an outsider.
What else are you working on?
I’m developing a documentary about the world of VR porn production. It seems I’m drawn to unconventional workplaces!
Tell me something fun about yourself.
I grew up in Oxford and got to be an extra in the Harry Potter movies. I was sorted into Slytherin.
What are you watching these days?
I watched Spermworld by Lance Oppenheim recently and absolutely loved it.
Anything else you want to share?
Another one of my short films, Learning English, is currently also on the festival circuit. Look out for it!
