| Mei Mei | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Xiaoxi Xu |
| Written by | Roberto F. Canuto Xu Xiaoxi |
| Produced by | Ana Menendez Marielvy D'Apollo |
| Starring | Janet Chiarabaglio Alex Best Alexandra Smothers Kjord Davis Alexander Aguila Gudmundur Luovik Porvaldsson Miles Wood |
| Cinematography | Roberto F. Canuto |
| Edited by | Roberto F. Canuto Xu Xiaoxi |
| Music by | Andrea Centazzo |
Production company | Almost Red Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 14 minutes |
| Countries | China United States |
| Language | English |
Mei Mei is a 2009 Chinese and US co-production drama short film directed by Xu Xiaoxi and written by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. The film's premiere took place in Hungary, where the film was part of the official selection at the 3rd Annual Slow Film International Film Festival, a successor to the 32-year-old Hungary Film Festival, born of the Film Art Initiative that includes films from Europe and North America. Mei Mei was screened in late August 2009 to an international crowd and was received as one of the festival's finest.[1]
Mei Mei tells the story of the neighbours Lulu and Julian. Lulu is a prostitute who receives constant visits from Julian, as he believes that she is his missing ex-girlfriend, Mei Mei. Thinking that he is merely trying to win her over, Lulu rejects his advances, but something happen that makes Lulu change her impression. From there, the two embark on a journey in search of companionship in a beautiful and heartbreaking love story.[1]
Australian actress Janet Chiarabaglio, best known for her roles in Songbird (Official Selection of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival), Inspector Gadget II, and Jeopardy 3, appears in the lead role following her Jury Award at the Boston Independent Film Festival. Los Angeles-based Alex Best, whose feature credits include American Dreamz with Dennis Quaid and Vicious Circle (winner of the Best Film in the New York International Latino Film Festival) is the male lead of the cast, as the love sick Julian.[2]
The film, due to the relationship that the main character Lulu establish with her "special friend" CoCo, was included in some LGBT events, as lesbianism is in the subtext of the story.[3]
The film also received the nomination for Best Cinematography at the 2009 Kodak Scholarship Awards in the United States, being the official representative of NYFA from Los Angeles.[4]