BI Gan

Born 1989 in Kali, China
Based in Kali, China

Filmmaker and poet. Began working in Kaili in Guizhou Province, his hometown and the cultural center of the Miao people who live throughout the province and in neighboring parts of China and Southeast Asia. Set in Kaili, Kaili Blues, Bi’s feature film debut as a director, had its world premiere at the Locarno International Film Festival, after which it screened at film festivals around the world, winning several prizes including Best New Director at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, making him the youngest recipient of that honor. He is currently one of the world’s most closely watched young film directors. Bi says he is fascinated by the humor that results from creating art while mixing together the contrasting methods of filmmaking, a direct, image-based form of expression, and poetry writing, an abstract form of expression.

Kaili Blues opens with a verse from the Diamond Sutra. A male doctor working at a clinic enshrouded in fog embarks on a journey to his hometown to find his nephew, who has been abducted, and to deliver a letter given to a man by the elderly doctor he works with. The music is by Lim Giong, known for his work with such filmmakers as Hou Hsiao-hsien and Jia Zhangke. The story unfolds like a daydream amidst the spectacular scenery of Kaili and to the beautiful accompaniment of music played on traditional Miao instruments.