Liquid Image

Directed by Yang Zhengfan

September 24th, 2016, North Avenue Beach, Chicago. It was a sunny day. According to the weather report, the temperature was 75°F, with the barometer reading 30 inches high and the wind speed of 13 miles per hour. The time was 2:27 pm, I was standing by the Michigan Lake. In my hand there was a waterproof camera that weighs 2.6 ounces. I pressed the record button on the camera and threw it into the lake. The camera sank into the lake immediately and embarked on a mysterious journey. During the journey, it was elevated, pressed, panned, rotated, and spun by the water. The camera explored the space like a disembodied consciousness, and the moving image it captured was turned into an abstract painting improvised by Mother Nature. Eleven minutes later, the wave delivered the camera back onto the beach with one single long take. This eleven minutes long take later became Liquid Image.