CHINA©
I like to describe our trip to China as a whirlwind. Laughing! Singing! Food, food, and more food! And the humidity! And crazy mountains and insane skyscrapers! I was overwhelmed. Before I knew it we were on our way back to the States with a monstrous hodgepodge of footage and a hundred different ideas of what to do with it all. Our film soon evolved into a spiraling story exploring cultures, generation gaps, and the state of Christianity in China today. Looking back, I remember being surprised how many people wanted to talk to us on camera. I felt a sense of urgency in the Christian community—both urban and rural, young and old—to share their faith and passions with the rest of the world. My camera acted as a people-magnet in every church, roadside restaurant, park, and school we visited.
The trip affected Emmy (my co-director) deeply. She is the driving force behind the story, and her search for faith and mission in life were ignited by our experiences in Guangdong Province. Her fantastically quirky personality and constant barrage of abstract ideas made this film a joy to create. Enjoy the whirlwind...
-Scott Riehs
When I began working on this film three years ago (Winter 2007), I did not realize the significance. It started as a promise to my family to help produce a family documentary to accompany the family book (Our Father), but quickly became a much larger committment and involvement of people. All inspired by my great-grandfather (Lo Ren Fu), Hakka Christians, and the collaboration and creation that comes from art. I feel much appreciation and great thanks towards my co-director/art partner Scott Riehs. This film would not have come so far, and with such quality and professionalism, were it not for him. I also feel much gratitude towards my entire family and all those I met during our shoot in China. This film shows the start of my spiritual journey in life that is really just beginning.
May this film bring great success and peace to all those who worked on it so faithfully. May it bring enjoyment and inspiration. Blessings and thanks...
- Emmy Walker