Journey Through Time: Creating the MR Short Film “RUINS”
In the MR short film “RUINS,” I embarked on a creative journey to depict the moment of a dynasty’s downfall. In Chinese history books, it is merely stated as the year 1644, the end of the Ming Dynasty. A regime was overthrown, making way for a new dynasty established by the Manchus. However, for the barbarian consort who had just given birth to an infant for Emperor Chongzhen, it was the most agonizing moment of her life. She witnessed her husband’s suicide by hanging, her former protectors turning into piles of corpses, and the enemy troops violating the palace maids who used to adorn her. Though her physical body perished, her soul found refuge in the body of a young girl. Forgetting the turmoil, she believed she was still an innocent and carefree sixteen-year-old. Centuries flew by in an instant, and she lived on into modern times, while the palace had transformed into ruins, rebuilt as a garden for tourists.
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During the day, she lived as she once did in the palace, adorning herself, arranging flowers, and waiting for the Emperor. But at night, her memories were locked away in a long-abandoned corridor. It was a desolate place filled with thunderstorms, lightning, and memories that tortured her. All she desired was to return to that moment, the moment her husband hanged himself. The Empress hanged herself alongside him, but she did not. She was weak, deemed a coward by the world, condemned in history books for later marrying another ruler, accused of lacking integrity and clinging to life. However, only she knew that she chose to endure the pain to ensure someone would always remember him. It was solely for the eternal remembrance of that moment when he smiled at her. For that smile, she traversed five hundred years alone.
Creating the MR short film “RUINS” allowed me to explore the depths of human emotion and the power of remembrance. Through the medium of MR, I aimed to capture the protagonist’s journey through time, highlighting her eternal longing for a specific moment in history. “RUINS” portrays the complexity of her character, challenging the narrative of history and shedding light on the personal sacrifices made in the name of love and remembrance. It serves as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the ability of MR to transport audiences into the depths of a character’s emotional landscape.
