Peony Pavilion (Mu Dan Ting)
China, 18m, Digital
A young male escort tries to survive in the city of Shanghai, while struggling to hide how he makes a living from the girl he truly loves.
Director: Sido Yao Lu
Writer(s): Sido Yao Lu
Producer(s): Emma Shan Wang
Director of Photography: Bartosz Nalazek
Editor(s): Filip Kasperaszek
Production Design: Zi Wei Wang
Composer(s): Izzy Gliksberg
Sound Design: Dan Timmons
Cast: Fang Wang, Ya Wen Xu, Si Qi Lei
Contact: Emma Wang, emmawang33@gmail.com, www.peonypavilionshortfilm.com
About the Writer/Director
SIDO YAO LU is a Chinese writer and director. The first poem she wrote in kindergarten was published in magazine when she was six, and she started writing for national literary magazines in middle school, getting many poems, works of prose and short novels published. She studied literature in college and published a collection of her works in 2006. While in college, she was the director of ZiYan Drama Club and wrote and directed the one act play Farmer and Orchard, winning the 2006 National Art Festival for College Students. In graduate school, Sido wrote two essays that were published in national literary criticism magazines. After graduation from Fudan University with an M.A. in Comparative Literature, she enrolled in Columbia University’s MFA Film program. During her time in the program, she wrote and directed three short films: Good Night Mr. Mouse, Summer’s Gone, and Peony Pavilion, the last two being filmed in Shanghai. She also wrote and produced the short film Shanghai Love Story in 2012.
About the Producers
EMMA SHAN WANG is a Chinese independent creative producer, living in Shanghai and New York City. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Producing from Columbia University and a B.A. in Communications and Visual Arts from Fordham University. With her previous experience in news reporting, publishing, and visual arts, her approach in feature film development and producing on a limited budget is innovative, unique, and character-driven. She has worked with writer/directors from Brazil, China, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and the US, which has reinforced her desire to pursue cross-cultural collaborations and exchanges. She is also notorious for her ability to read faces; make sure to ask her about it during a full moon.
