Other related news reports from the City of Angels

The short film "City of Dreams" adapted from the Chinese student shooting at the University of Southern California has entered the post-production stage and is expected to be released to the audience in October. The film was shot by USC students and performed by professional actors from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Taiwan and the United States for free. The film also received financial support from many individuals and organizations. We hope to use the two classmates to show the mentality of international students working hard to live and pursue their dreams in a foreign land. course.

The film’s creator said: “Although this is a film made to mourn the deceased, grief is not our theme. Through ‘City of Angels’, we will see how hard the two protagonists have worked. Alive."

The film is directed and written by Jiazheng Chen, a 2012 master's degree graduate from the University of Southern California's Department of Computer Science, and produced and promoted by He Yuxi, a 2012 master's degree graduate from the School of Communication at the University of Southern California. He Yuxi said that after the "411" shooting incident, some Chinese and foreign media reported the incident inaccurately, describing the victim as a rich second generation, which caused misunderstandings among many people who did not know the truth. To this end, Chinese students from the School of Communication wrote a press release to correct the media's erroneous reports after conducting research. She also hopes to shoot a short film to truly present the life of Chinese students studying in the United States and the various challenges and hardships they face. She was deeply moved after seeing the documentary "Our Voice" filmed by Chen Jiazheng at the memorial ceremony for the victims of the "411" shooting. At that time, the documentary received more than 100,000 views in China. The two hit it off immediately and started working on the film in May.

The short film only lasts about 20 minutes, but it embodies the hard work and dedication of many Chinese students and enthusiasts. Chen Jiazheng said that he interviewed many friends and family members of the two victims for this matter. The victim’s landlord was also very cooperative and lent them the house where she lived for a whole week for filming. More than 30 neighbors signed signatures in support. The filming of this film gave them the opportunity to obtain a filming license. At the same time, He Yuxi received about US$10,000 in donations from websites and individuals that support independent films, such as China's DreamChasing.com and America's Indiegogo, to rent professional photography equipment and venues to ensure the quality of film shooting. Most of the more than 20 crew members and actors work on a voluntary basis for free.

Chen Jiazheng said that although the film was adapted from the "411" incident, it did not use the real names of the deceased, nor did it focus on describing the cause of the case. The case has not yet been closed, and any speculation on the facts is irresponsible. The film involves the plot of the night when the crime occurred, but the focus is on the lives of the two protagonists in school, especially when they faced employment choices after graduation and their sincere pursuit of love and ideals.

Chen Jiazheng said: "International students like Qu Ming and Wu Ying who came to the United States to study all held a dream. They made a lot of efforts to realize their dreams and had to face many difficult choices. For example, the two of them had They told their friends that in order to be together, they decided to find a job together after graduation. If one of them couldn't find it, they would rather return to China together. This sacrifice for love moved everyone. "In addition, the two originally planned to spend the summer vacation together. Returning to China to meet each other's parents, but their dreams were terminated due to this misfortune, all of which will be presented in the film.

Chen Jiazheng pointed out that this film hopes to inspire other Chinese students who have the opportunity to study in the United States to cherish their lives more and work harder to move towards their ideals.

The heroine He Xiaoxi and her roommate in the film invited Zhang Qianqian and Yuan Xiaoshan who have acting experience to perform. The latter is also a master's student in the Department of Communication at the University of Southern California and a former TVB anchor. The male protagonist Yang Yifan and his friends were played by Lu Decheng from the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Southern California and Pei Long from the Department of Biology. Although they were not professional actors, their performance beat other auditioners. Also playing the male protagonist’s parents are famous Chinese TV actor Li Xiaojia and Chinese-American actor Glenn Zhang.