長 篇 介 紹

LONG SYNOPSIS

The Wind Sighs tells the story of 80 year old Chinese tea farmer Lin Chui Jiao and his family, who rise to success on the back of China’s economic boom.

It was filmed in China’s beautiful Fujian province, and captures the region’s mist-shrouded mountains where high altitudes, good soils, and drenching rains have conspired to produce the delicate white teas picked and produced by the Lin family.

The cross-cultural production was directed by Wendy Fowler and filmed by Yan Lin under the supervision of Dr Alison Wotherspoon and Helen Carter of Flinders University Screen and Media department.

Postproduction was undertaken by Flinders University students, with music composition by Darren Mullan of Adelaide Recording Studios and post sound editing by Salisbury TAFE students.

The short documentary looks at the old tea farmer’s early years of poverty under Mao Zedong, and its flow-on effects for his children who eventually transform their father’s dream of building a tea business into reality.

As China developed and opened up to international business, so did the Lin’s tea business, and today Guang Fu Teas is a large family company with four factories, 40 tea franchises across China, and a growing international market.

The films looks at notions of change, by juxtaposing Lin Chui Jiao’s simple way of life against his family’s business activities, China’s vast cities and the fall out of regional poverty.

Despite former hardships and new found wealth, Lin Chui Jao says he is happy with his life.