Like Japan's Aokigahara (aka "Forest of Death,") and San Francisco's Golden Gate, Nanjing's Yangtze River Bridge is famous for being the site of a disproportionate number of suicides each year. Chen Si is a man who has taken it upon himself to spend his weekends doing everything in his power to prevent as many suicides as possible, and he finds himself the subject and titular savior of Angel of Nanjing. Filmmakers Jordan Horowitz and Frank Ferendo recognized the intriguing potential in Chen Si's story, and the resulting film is a respectfully observant, quietly moving documentary. The film follows Chen Si through his typical weekend routine, leaving his wife and daughter in their humble apartment to patrol the bridge on his scooter, clad in a seemingly...
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- 2/17/2016
- Screen Anarchy
"Angel of Nanjing" - The Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing is one of the most famous bridges in China. It is also the most popular place in the world to commit suicide. For the past 11 years, Chen Si has been patrolling this bridge, looking to provide aid for those who’ve gone there to end their lives. Incredibly, he has saved over 300 people since he began – nearly one every two weeks.
On May 5, 2010, after hearing about Chen Si’s story, Jordan Horowitz and Frank Ferendo bought tickets to China in order to document his ongoing efforts. Relying purely on self-funding and no forms of social media, the duo set off to China armed with their guerilla style of filmmaking and a rotation of Chinese translators. On March 27, 2015, the two premiered the film at the Phoenix Film Festival going on to win “Best Documentary” and being the first recipient of the Sidney K. Shapiro Humanitarian Award.
Frank Ferendo: "Suicide is a global thing, but a third of all suicides happen in China – around 490,000. Every culture has it. There’s just so many people in China and it’s such a changing economy. Some of it is a Chinese problem. There isn’t anything in China for people, whereas here stateside, there are other options. There’s hotlines, government help. China has hotlines but no one may answer the phone. And in China, people don’t want to discuss their problems even. It’s a taboo. They hold it in, and it comes out in worse ways."
Though the story was always compelling, Ferendo and Horowitz’s eye extended beyond just the bridge. Their subject Chen Si is an incredibly compelling character in his own right, employing rescue methods that are equally nurturing and aggressive – even sometimes exhibiting gallows humor.
Jordan Horowitz : "It was really about his grandmother and what she instilled in him. He does suffer from depression and it deeply affects him. But he never thought of himself as a hero, he’s thought of himself as a failure for the ones he couldn’t. He’s overwhelmed, none of his friends will listen. He struggles with that. So he started a blog and his phone number is there for depressed people to call him.”
Frank Ferendo : “He drinks a lot, he chain smokes. He’s always got a cigarette going. He drinks every day. He talks about why he does this. His heart can’t take it. He must drink. To handle it all. And then he writes this poetry. The burden of anyone he can’t save... He only goes every weekend. 2 days. Because he has a job, he has responsibilities.”
With a primary focus on narrative, Ferendo and Horowitz aim to provide information as well as entertainment.
Jordan Horowitz : “My hope is that people don’t look at it like a foreign film. It’s a global epidemic. It’s something that we can all relate to. And it’s something we should be empathetic [about] too. The film takes place in China only because that’s just where the guy is doing it.”
Frank Ferendo: “He doesn’t have any help. No government help. He’s just decided to it himself. He works his job and funnels a lot of money into this program he’s doing. He would even sometimes bring people from the bridge home. And his wife was not happy with that.”
Jordan Horowitz : “It’s a major source of tension with his wife, not just financially but also the time. He missed several years of his daughter growing up. And the reality is that he won’t do this forever. He’s hoping that people see this film and are willing to step up. It’s a cause for concern and I’m not sure what the solution is.”
As of this article, “Angel Of Nanjing” is still seeking distribution.
Frank Ferendo has written three scripts in the past years and is hoping to film one next year.
Jordan Horowitz currently has a film in post-production titled “Painless,” which he aims to be finished by summer.
The Phoenix Film Festival is an annual international festival that takes place in Phoenix, Arizona.
Special thanks to Erik O’Malley .
On May 5, 2010, after hearing about Chen Si’s story, Jordan Horowitz and Frank Ferendo bought tickets to China in order to document his ongoing efforts. Relying purely on self-funding and no forms of social media, the duo set off to China armed with their guerilla style of filmmaking and a rotation of Chinese translators. On March 27, 2015, the two premiered the film at the Phoenix Film Festival going on to win “Best Documentary” and being the first recipient of the Sidney K. Shapiro Humanitarian Award.
Frank Ferendo: "Suicide is a global thing, but a third of all suicides happen in China – around 490,000. Every culture has it. There’s just so many people in China and it’s such a changing economy. Some of it is a Chinese problem. There isn’t anything in China for people, whereas here stateside, there are other options. There’s hotlines, government help. China has hotlines but no one may answer the phone. And in China, people don’t want to discuss their problems even. It’s a taboo. They hold it in, and it comes out in worse ways."
Though the story was always compelling, Ferendo and Horowitz’s eye extended beyond just the bridge. Their subject Chen Si is an incredibly compelling character in his own right, employing rescue methods that are equally nurturing and aggressive – even sometimes exhibiting gallows humor.
Jordan Horowitz : "It was really about his grandmother and what she instilled in him. He does suffer from depression and it deeply affects him. But he never thought of himself as a hero, he’s thought of himself as a failure for the ones he couldn’t. He’s overwhelmed, none of his friends will listen. He struggles with that. So he started a blog and his phone number is there for depressed people to call him.”
Frank Ferendo : “He drinks a lot, he chain smokes. He’s always got a cigarette going. He drinks every day. He talks about why he does this. His heart can’t take it. He must drink. To handle it all. And then he writes this poetry. The burden of anyone he can’t save... He only goes every weekend. 2 days. Because he has a job, he has responsibilities.”
With a primary focus on narrative, Ferendo and Horowitz aim to provide information as well as entertainment.
Jordan Horowitz : “My hope is that people don’t look at it like a foreign film. It’s a global epidemic. It’s something that we can all relate to. And it’s something we should be empathetic [about] too. The film takes place in China only because that’s just where the guy is doing it.”
Frank Ferendo: “He doesn’t have any help. No government help. He’s just decided to it himself. He works his job and funnels a lot of money into this program he’s doing. He would even sometimes bring people from the bridge home. And his wife was not happy with that.”
Jordan Horowitz : “It’s a major source of tension with his wife, not just financially but also the time. He missed several years of his daughter growing up. And the reality is that he won’t do this forever. He’s hoping that people see this film and are willing to step up. It’s a cause for concern and I’m not sure what the solution is.”
As of this article, “Angel Of Nanjing” is still seeking distribution.
Frank Ferendo has written three scripts in the past years and is hoping to film one next year.
Jordan Horowitz currently has a film in post-production titled “Painless,” which he aims to be finished by summer.
The Phoenix Film Festival is an annual international festival that takes place in Phoenix, Arizona.
Special thanks to Erik O’Malley .
- 4/7/2015
- by Vincent Lay
- Sydney's Buzz
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