Welcoming Letter from SHEN Wei – MulanIFF2025

This year in films we’ve seen a lot of rains, funerals, and springs; to the point that when you walk into the steaming heat of Toronto, or elsewhere in the world this summer, you start to wonder how many dimensions there are in one’s life, and how it is possible to imagine someone else’s life, in a different time, in a different place.

And you’ll know that what you are about to see is eventually going to fade away, as you move into a different chapter in life, as you grow old and gray and start to forget. So many are out there crying out, “Cinema is dead!” Theatres are closing down, the markets are failing, and the talents once attracted to this industry have walked away from it. One person’s effort, no matter how important, may not be able to turn the tides.

But all of it has nothing to do with you. You’ve made a choice to come here, to spend some two hours sitting in the dark with a group of strangers, and we don’t have any questions about that. The question is to yourself. The interpretation is yours.

There’s no mystery to cinema if you’ve experienced rains, funerals, and springs. You know that we’re all going to fade away, and you know that some feelings will remain.

To all the volunteers who have poured your time and your heart into this, we’ve created another edition of memories; to all the supporters, sponsors and partners who have lifted us up (again), we will carry your generosity forward in ways big and small, seen and unseen.

 

Best,
SHEN Wei 沈玮
Artistic Director