RAN LI - SCREENWRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, EDITOR

Director, writer, producer Ran Li, born Beijing, China, December 20th, 1988, began her career as a documentary filmmaker in 2013, while finishing her master degree in law in Amsterdam. From 2013 to 2014 she finished a series of short documentaries Amsterdam Trilogy, which boosted her confidence in moving into fiction filmmaking. In September 2014 Ran went to Prague Film School and graduated in May 2015 with a specialization in directing and screenwriting. She won Best Directing and Best Sceenwriting Awards at the graduation ceremony, based on her diploma film Lucie.

 

Ran would like to see herself as a realistic filmmaker, who unveils truth or highlights characters hidden behind crude reality. Antonioni, Eric Rohmer, John Cassavetes, Louis Malle, Dardenne brothers, these filmmakers had a major influence on her. As a writer-director, Ran would like to use a stripped-down, natural and unsentimental style to express herself. She hopes her films will speak to people, disturb them and connect with them in a profound way.

 

Her most recent fictional film Lucie is a realistic coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl's dilemma of freedom pursuit. Teenage years are messy. Especially for girls. Ran hopes to create something that feels truthful. Most actors in the film are non-actors. Ran also chose to shoot with portable camera with hand-held style and mostly natural lighting to accommodate the spontaneity of her actors, to make the film honest, emotionally complicated and alive.