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The documentary filmmakers' struggle in shanghai (reprint from:Shanghai Daily)

"Struggle" depicts a Shenzhen lawyer who provides free legal services and shelter for construction workers permanently injured on the job. The lawyer himself was once a construction worker and understood their suffering. The film was more in line with the classic documentary.

Taking advantage of his language and study in America , Shu applied to various institutions for funding and managed to obtain financing from the Jan Vrijman Fund of the Netherlands and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. "Struggle" was honored at many international film festivals and aired in Europe.

Given his experience in getting foreign funds, it is rather strange that Shu funded "Nostalgia" out of his own pocket. Shu explains that "Nostalgia" was just so special for him that he decided to start without outside funds because the process is time-consuming.

He agrees it's extremely difficult for independent filmmakers to get funding, especially for documentaries."Not many Chinese people or companies would even invest in fiction films, not to mention documentaries," says Shu. "Plus, there is no organizational funding for documentary films here."

And at least in the near future, he still considers overseas funding as his main support.

"Nostalgia" has been shown only within museums and colleges in China and film festivals overseas. Now, Shu plans to release it on DVD.The Fresh Take.

Twenty-six-year-old Zhu Yingwen is more experienced than Shu, Guo and Ke in raising funds.

He graduated from Shanghai University only in 2003 and is working on "Shanghai Eight Miles" (a working title), about a group of youths trying to write Chinese hip-hop songs and bring traditional Chinese elements into hip-hop culture.

"It is about the dreams of young people. Some are lost, some persistent, just like ourselves," Zhu tells Shanghai Daily.

Zhu's film is financed by the STV Documentary Channel since his proposal was selected in the "Docu China " campaign last year. Zhu is quite experienced, having made both commercial promotion videos and documentaries before.

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