Five Golden Goblet Documentary hopefuls share stories behind their lenses

The crews behind the five nominees vying for Golden Goblet Awards in the Documentary category shared insights about their productions at the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival on June 19. 

The contenders are "Bridge 2045," "Catches on the Moon," "Constanza," "The Guardian of Stories" and "A Part of the Land." 

Mexican production "Bridge 2045" records how local firefighters raced against time to bravely douse forest wildfires. The film cleverly interweaves the present and the potential future, pushing the boundaries of documentary. 

Director Olivia Luengas Magaña said the touching scenes of firefighters' battling to protect nature had inspired people to reassess the most important things in their lives. 

Chinese contender "Catches on the Moon" follows a middle-aged ecologist and his family living on the margins of Alxa, a severely barren area of Inner Mongolian desert. The scientist tries to improve the soil to make it suitable for agriculture. 

"The film is a narration and exploration of the relationship between humans and the land," said director Xu Huijing. 

"Constanza" from Spain follows a famous sculptor’s collaboration with an art history student to create a distinctive piece. 

Director Agustín Márquez Gómez said the heartwarming film set in Madrid captures the friendship and interaction between the artist and student Constanza. 

"The birth of the marvellous artwork was a rewarding experience for us," said Gómez. 

Claudia Bellasi, co-director of Laotian production "The Guardian of Stories," noted the film revolves around a local storyteller who has run a theater for around 20 years. 

But the future is becoming bleak as the traditional oral storytelling art is being challenged by digital media story-sharing. 

"The storyteller has a passion and perseverance for age-old intangible cultural heritage skills," said Bellasi. "The art he sticks to for a long passage of time also has a magical connection from the past to the future." 

Iranian production "A Part of the Land" focuses its lens on a single woman in a dilemma. The female psychologist faces many challenges in her life – quarrels with her daughter and rising rents. Through interviews with the woman and people in her life, the film reveals biases in the social system.