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Q: What challenges did you face while portraying such dark and emotional subject matter, and how did you balance realism with sensitivity?A: I went back and forth on how much of the corpses to show and how faithfully to stick to the true process. In reality, corpse fishers keep the bodies in the water (low oxygen exposure preserves the bodies better) and tie their hands to the bow of the boat, essentially dragging the corpses through the water as the boat drives around. They hoist the bodies out of the water only when they need to be identified. Ultimately, I decided against showing the faces and full bodies of the corpses. Although it would have made a real impact, it would have been too costly and time-consuming to create dummy corpses that both looked and moved realistically. It was better for the story to allude to the dead rather than risk taking audiences out of the moment with a fake-looking corpse.Q: You mentioned the film is inspired by real %u2018corpse fishermen%u2019 who sell cadavers to grieving families. How did this real-life practice influence the tone and atmosphere of the film?A: Without giving too much away, the scene in the film where a grieving family identifies a corpse was very much inspired by my real experiences in China. Living in China, you very much feel like you are hostage to much larger forces at work. You don%u2019t really have control or say over a lot of what is happening to you, and sometimes that can cause frustration to build up, but there%u2019s also nowhere and no one to direct this anger at. On multiple occasions, I%u2019ve seen people unleash their fury at random service industry professionals. Corpse fishers are a particularly acute example of a profession that is used as an emotional punching bag by those who come into contact with them. I wanted to portray this uncomfortable but common part of life in China and use it as an important turning point in the relationship between Old Bo and Yan.Q: What was it like working with the Rising Voices program, and how did that support help bring this story to life?A: I%u2019ve applied to a lot of grants for short films, and there is nothing quite like the Rising Voices program. Firstly, the production budget you get is staggering. This story just couldn%u2019t exist in its current form without spending lots of money. All the costs of a marine coordinator, lifeguards, a studio teacher for the minor, really add up quickly, so having a $100k production budget was the only way we could afford to keep all the story elements and not compromise on crew safety or quality. Then there%u2019s also the additional creative support and advice from Hillman Grad, which was invaluable. They really take care to understand the story you are trying to tell and then help you hone that vision.Q: The film has qualified for the 2025 Oscars%u00ae. How does it feel to see the story resonating so widely, and what impact do you hope the film will have on its audiences?A: I%u2019m so happy that audiences are connecting with the story! Especially a story set in a different language and part of the world. When I set out to make this film about a hyper-specific job in China, I really hoped that I%u2019d be able to convey the universality of loss, the day-to-day mundaneness of work, and the never-ending quest for closure. It%u2019s really amazing to hear people picking up on these different aspects of the story and relating to the film in whole new ways!In search of closure, a desperate teenager strikes a deal to go fishing for corpses with a strangerDirector: Jean LiuProducer: Sarah Park62 MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 60