Synopsis
The couple Is Not the Same Birds is a documentary based on a family from the ordinary middle class. It was shot in Dandong, Liaoning Province, the largest border city in China. The film looks into a couple who divorced 15 years ago, and the director interviewed them about their daily lives. The director makes a comparison between the past and the current life with the combination of home videos and showed the present situation of the second marriage – the director’s parents’ marriage as well as their opinions on marriage and love.
Tony Tan
Born in Dandong, Liaoning Province in 1989, Tan Zhenbang served in the armed police detachment of Jinzhou after graduation from high school. Two years later, he was demobilized and founded an advertising design studio in his hometown. In 2013, he entered the Communication University of China to study film and television directing. He is currently working in Beijing making food documentaries.
Director's statement
Fifteen years ago, my parents divorced. My father started a new family within a few years. My mother remained single to protect my feelings. Until 2018, I was eventually informed that my mother was ready to marry again. When I heard this news, I cried, and suddenly realized that I have grown up. I’m already thirty, haha! So, I decided to record my parents’ marital lives separately. Through the comparison between their new marriages and life a decade ago, I would like to tell people that, divorcement is not that awful, and it is not the end of the world. Second marriage can still be happy. The whole film was shot with iPhone X and the shooting took seven days during the Chinese New Year.
