A Short Story

I cannot help but feel that you have to be Chinese or speak Mandarin to truly understand this film. It is only 15 minutes long, and while it's admittedly surreal and art house, I think there's some context missing for Westerners who aren't scholars of Chinese mythology or language.

For example at one point a letter is read that seems to be possibly full of Taoist parables that I have never heard before.

I did laugh at the idea of a cat wearing a trenchcoat and pretending to be a person, and there was something a bit sad and touching about the way the film ends.

A Short Story is worth a look but don't expect to "get it."

The movie is deliberate in its imaginative portrayal but very simplistic in what it has to offer - and rightly so.

It's a timely reminder to indicate the significance of things that are out there in plain sight - yet the importance of which is completely missed out on by others.

In its search for the most important thing, the cat tumbles upon plain old 'life' itself - which flourishes in dirt and under the sun.

Perhaps the personification of the cat was telling in its manner that the importance of anything is to be determined not only from the perspective of 'humans' which creates a distorted understanding of what matters - but rather from the perspective of 'organisms'.

I loved the film: It's dreamlike ambience brought up many elements of cinema that I could recognize (and rejoice with).

One that was specially delighful to perceive was in the theater scene, in wich David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks came to my mind immediately.

I also rejoiced with the storytelling and the photography: they really set up a mood in wich I felt comfy and into It.

The black cat was so well portrayed that It is going to be part of my mental collection of whimsical characters forever.

At last, but not least, Mr. Wang Wen's music left it's marks on my heart.

How come a short film give rise to so many pleasable impressions?