Please scroll down for the English version - Chinese stories, global empathy: How UNNC student-led short films win international acclaim.

入選21項國際電影節，并先后斬獲巴拿馬、阿維尼翁、玻利維亞等重要電影節的“最佳影片”“最佳劇本”等多項國際大獎……《沉睡半生》，這部由寧波諾丁漢大學與英國諾丁漢大學師生聯合創作、寧諾學生主導的短片近日喜訊頻傳。究竟是什么讓這部作品破解了跨文化敘事的“密碼”？

獨特敘事框架

讓中國故事打動全球觀眾

《沉睡半生》講述了一位患有阿爾茨海默病的老人，為尋找祖父遺留的指南針而每日守在一部電梯中的故事。影片細膩地描繪了家庭面對親人失憶時的不同選擇：有人選擇縱容與逃避，有人難以忍受而試圖干預，也有人以理解和包容回應。短短十五分鐘內，情感拉扯與矛盾層層遞進，讓觀眾感受到親情的重量與人性的溫度。

“讓中國故事不僅能夠‘走出去’，更能‘走進去’，與全球觀眾建立深層情感連接，是這部短片在國際舞臺脫穎而出的關鍵。”寧波諾丁漢大學國際傳播系系主任、創意產業與跨媒體副教授Filippo Gilardi認為。長期以來，許多中國電影難以打動國際觀眾，挑戰不僅在于敘事結構和文化差異，更在于缺少兼具本土根基與全球視野的創作者。

為此，寧諾研究團隊在分析多部曾在釜山、倫敦、戛納等國際電影節獲獎的中國短片基礎之上，創造性地構建出一套提升作品國際吸引力的創作框架，并將其應用于《沉睡半生》。研究發現，能夠引發國際共鳴的影片往往聚焦家庭、成長與抗爭等人類共通情感，并結合象征性符號和經典敘事結構，實現跨文化情感共通。例如，“祖傳指南針”象征記憶與傳承，“電梯囚籠”具象化主角的困境。影片對聲音等細節的精準把控，也進一步增強了情感張力和觀影體驗。

這一研究成果也在寧諾的教學中得到實踐，并融入最新開設的數字影視制作碩士專業課程。學生在學習這套經實踐檢驗的敘事方法同時，以此為基礎創作原創劇本并拍攝短片，進一步提升專業能力與跨文化敘事技巧。

高端設備賦能

鼓勵學生勇于創作

寧諾在影視制作教學設施上持續進行投入，打造世界一流的創作環境，讓學生能夠將創意轉化為專業水準的影像作品，并有機會在國際電影節中亮相。《沉睡半生》就是一個成功的案例，也為寧諾的影視制作教育發展注入新的動力。

今年二月，寧諾與電影技術先驅阿萊（ARRI）共建的亞洲首個ARRI標準虛擬制作與動作捕捉實驗室正式揭幕。實驗室配備實時環境投影LED墻，并搭載ARRI Alexa 35與Alexa Mini-LF攝影系統等先進技術，助力培養新一代影視人才。

早在實驗室成立前，《沉睡半生》就使用了ARRI Alexa Mini-LF攝影系統進行拍攝。寧諾影視制作研究所聯合主任、ARRI認證攝影系統培訓師Levi Dean博士介紹，即便大多數學生是首次參與電影制作，影片依然取得了令人矚目的成績，阿萊設備在其中發揮了關鍵作用。

“例如，阿萊相機能夠以原始視頻格式錄制影像，這一專業格式在技術和創意上都具有高度靈活性。由于可捕捉未經壓縮的傳感器原始數據，這為后期調色與曝光調整提供了更大空間，讓學生們大膽嘗試、進行創意探索，并深入體驗高端影視制作環境。”

寧諾數字影視制作碩士專業學生劉禹德表示，“在課堂，我們不僅有機會親身學習并操作業界領先的阿萊設備，熟悉拍攝流程，在老師的專業指導下讓課堂變成拍攝的片場，更重要的是真正深入理解電影創作的邏輯，并學會和團隊協作。在集體創作短片的過程中，每個人都肩負不同角色——導演、編劇、制片、攝影、燈光或美術。每一次合作、每一次嘗試，都是一次重新認識自我與突破邊界的過程。寧諾開放的學習氛圍和創新理念，讓我更加堅定了用鏡頭向觀眾講好故事、傳遞真摯情感的信心。”

Chinese stories, global empathy: How UNNC student-led short films win international acclaim

The short film Half the World is Sleeping (2024), created by a team of staff and students from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) and the University of Nottingham UK (UNUK), has taken the global film festival circuit by storm. Having competed in over 100 international festivals, it has received 21 official selections and won awards for “Best Film” and “Best Screenplay” in Panama, France, and Bolivia. But what makes this short film so effective in capturing the essence of cross-cultural storytelling?

A unique narrative framework that makes Chinese stories resonate globally

The film tells the story of Elsa Potts, an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s, who spends her days in an elevator searching for the compass left by her grandfather. It delicately portrays her family’s response to her memory loss: her daughter Sarah remains numb and detached, Ian tries to intervene, while James responds with empathy and compassion. Within just fifteen minutes, the story layers emotional tension and conflict, evoking both the profound weight of familial bonds and the tender warmth of human connection.

“The key to this short film standing out on the international stage is not just that it allows a Chinese story to ‘go out,’ but that it allows it to ‘reach in’, establishing deep, universal emotional connections with audiences around the world,” said Dr Filippo Gilardi, Head of the School of International Communications and Associate Professor in Creative Industries and Transmedia at UNNC.

Dr Gilardi further explained that, historically, many Chinese films have struggled to resonate emotionally with global audiences, not only because of narrative and cultural differences but also due to a shortage of filmmakers capable of bridging local identity with global sensibility.

In a bid to support talent development in China, the UNNC research team identified a noteworthy trend in 2022, when three Chinese short films gained significant recognition at major international festivals — including Busan International Film Festival; BFI London Film Festival and 75th Cannes Film Festival. In analysing these award-winning works, the researchers found that they shared common narrative patterns grounded in universal human experiences such as family, growth, and struggle. By emphasising and exploring values such as family harmony, professional dedication, and cultural belonging —and by employing symbolic imagery with a classical narrative structure — these films achieved cross-cultural emotional resonance. Precise attention to elements such as sound design further enhanced their emotional impact and viewing experience.

These research findings have been integrated into UNNC’s teaching and embedded within its newly launched MA in Digital Screen Production programme. Students not only learn this internationally tested narrative method but also apply it to develop their own original scripts and produce short films, strengthening both their practical skills and cross-cultural storytelling abilities.

Cutting-edge equipment enhances students’ professional skills

Aligned with this research-led approach, UNNC continues to invest in new production facilities, creating a world-class environment where students can bring their ideas to life, produce films to professional standards, and compete at international festivals. The success of Half the World is Sleeping further reinforces this momentum and highlights an exciting future for screen production at UNNC.

In February this year, UNNC unveiled Asia’s first ARRI Virtual Production (VP) and Motion Capture (MC) Studio — a milestone achievement in its partnership with ARRI, global leaders in film technology. The studio, equipped with cutting-edge tools such as real-time LED projection walls and ARRI’s Alexa 35 and Alexa Mini LF camera systems, aims to nurture the next generation of film talent right here at UNNC.

Even before the studio’s official launch, Half the World is Sleeping was filmed using the school’s ARRI Alexa Mini LF camera system. Despite most students participating in filmmaking for the first time, the project achieved impressive results — with ARRI film technology playing a key role.

Dr Levi Dean, Co-Director of the Institute of Screen Production and a Certified ARRI Camera Systems Trainer, explained that ARRI cameras can record in ARRIRAW, a professional format valued for the technical and creative flexibility it provides. By capturing uncompressed sensor data, ARRIRAW gives filmmakers far greater latitude when adjusting colour and exposure in post-production, enabling students to experiment, take creative risks, and build confidence in their ability to operate within a high-end film production environment.

“At UNNC, we not only gain hands-on experience with industry-leading ARRI equipment and learn the filming workflow, but, more importantly, we develop a deep understanding of the logic of filmmaking and the power of collaboration,” said Yude Liu, a first-year student on the MA in Digital Screen Production programme.

“During the collaborative short film project, everyone takes on different roles — director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, lighting designer, or art designer. Every collaboration, every experiment, is an opportunity to explore oneself and expand one’s horizons. UNNC’s open and innovative learning environment has strengthened my belief in the power of film to tell stories to the world with heartfelt emotion.”

圖文來源：Andy Wang，寧波市微電影協會

電子編輯：Suri An

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