I recorded this film during my stay in Feng Deng village in June 2023. From the first day, I was captivated by this place because of the daily activity it generated and the beautiful idea of a natural water source coming down from those virgin mountains, and that it has been for centuries, one of the secrets of the good health and longevity of the villagers.
I was impressed by the respect and devotion they had for this water source, since it is located on a pass hill halfway between the village and the mountain, so it has a lot of activity at all hours of the day. It was incredible to see how many people on foot, as well as in cars, motorbikes and buses, all stopped to drink from this water.
The stops were of various kinds, some stopped to take a sip, to drink, others to fill teapots and some people to fill large and heavy buckets of water.
What caught my attention was that in that place it seemed as if time stopped and people from many generations came together at the source at the same time... Modern cars, people carrying buckets on their heads, traditional clothing of the Dong ethnic group (from the village), modern youth, etc.
In addition to this description of the activity and the people, the most beautiful thing about this natural spring is its location at the bottom of the mountain and, above all, its soundscape. The sound palette of this place is overwhelming, with a number of insects singing since the morning, the sound of the breeze through the trees, the transitions of people passing and talking and the number of sounds that occurred when they interacted with the fountain, which being a kind of mini cave with a thin layer of water, it generated a resonance box effect that amplified the sound of people who interacted with the fountain while drinking, drawing water, talking, etc.
Without a doubt one of the most magical places I have visited. During the 10 days that I was in the village, I visited this place (at different times of the day) for at least 1 hour… next to the water fountain there is a small space with wooden benches where I would sit to enjoy and listen carefully the place and from where I captured the material for the film.
Text written on the site plate:
Baishou mountain spring is warm in the winter and cool in summer. It has a history of more than 200 years. People in the village have been drinking it for a long time. The mountain spring is refreshing. Detoxification Xiaoshi, the water is rich in potassium, calcium and other mineral elements, is necessary to maintain the normal body function of the human body, and has a good protective effect on the stomach, can improve symptoms of food accumulation, can also absirb heavy metal posions in the human body, and discharged from the body. Hundreds of old people in the village have been drinking this mountain spring for a long time, so it is called Baishou mountain spring.
Location: Guìzhōu Province - China.
FILM (stills)
FILM PREMIERE & SCREENING
The Film was premiered at L'Alternativa Independent Film Festival in Barcelona at the CCCB HALL · Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona .
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Film Details:
2023
8 min
Stereo Sound
HD Digital Color
HALL CCCB Museum, Barcelona.