Film Music
“Fu (福),” also named “ReJi (热寂),” is an indie (art/arthouse) film directed by Zeyu Peng in 2021, a senior undergraduate student at NYU Tisch. Its music is composed and produced, and its audio is edited by Hanzhi Zhang in 2022.
“Fu (福)” means “happiness,” and it also implies “good family relationship (合家幸福).” However, the film is about a family that is almost broken.
It’s a story about a girl named “Jiajia (佳佳)” around 20 years old, studying painting in college. Her father has left the family for many years. Her mother supports the family herself but doesn’t want to divorce, and she wants to maintain the marriage even if it’s broken. Jiajia suffers great self-depreciation because of the family relationship.
At the beginning of the story, she falls in love with a boy named “Xu (小徐).” Xu is who she wants to be and what she wants to do. She wants freedom, and she wants to escape from the family. However, they never confirm a love relationship and finally get separated.
Her father comes home after many years, while her mother discovers that her father has an extramarital affair outside. The mother asks Jiajia to put a recorder on her father’s car, and Jiajia bravely says to her father that her parents are not suitable and they should divorce. Nevertheless, her words hurt her mother deeply, which leads to her mother’s suicide. Jiajia is devastated and regretful, and passes away because of taking too many tranquilizers.
The movie is about 1 hour long. The original composition is 30 minutes in total.
Fu - The girl’s dream
This is the end and the climax of the movie at timecode 01:58:20:00. Jiajia, the protagonist, passes away and finally frees herself from the unhealthy family relationship. This scene is illusory, and depicts what Jiajia dreams about. The whole family goes to a leafy suburb where they went to when Jiajia was young. Jiajia talks to her father happily, leaves the city with her crush, and throws away the recorder (which is the final thing that destroys her life). The scene is beautiful, yet tragic.
Fu - The girl’s crush
This scene is at timecode 01:16:49:00. Jiajia goes to her studio for work and meets Xu there. They have a chat during the break. Xu plays magic letting Jiajia laugh, and she is attracted to him. After Jiajia comes home, she is still thinking about Xu. She dreams that they kiss each other. The overall scene is romantic and dreamy (illusory).
Fu - Flashback
This scene is at timecode 01:27:32:00. Jiajia’s father who was outside for many years comes home. The mother has a quarrel with him because she discovers that the father is having an extramarital affair with another woman. After the quarrel ceases, Jiajia sits in her room (next to her mother’s room), evoking her memory about how her father left the family when she was young. The scene is heavy-hearted and depressing.
Fu - Separation
This scene is in the middle of the film, at timecode 01:47:28:00. The mother has a conversation with Jiajia, asking her to put a secret recorder in her father’s car to find out who the father is having an affair with. Jiajia then asks the father to drive her to the studio. Jiajia goes to the studio, knowing Xu is going to leave the city. Xu invites her to travel with him. Jiajia is in silence and doesn’t agree. The scene is emotional, as it’s a profession of love.
Fu - Crying her heart out
This scene is at timecode 01:52:37:00. Jiajia discover that the mother is not at home at the late night. She tries to call her mother but receives no response. She finally discovers the recorder in blood. The recorder is playing the dialogue between Jiajia and the father, for which she suggests them to divorce (she implies with an anecdote of them when she was young). The mother is very depressed and hurts herself, going to the hospital then. Jiajia realizes the fact and feels very regretful about her behavior. She takes too many tranquilizers/sleeping pills, talks to her brother (who takes care of the mother at the hospital), faints, and later dies.
Fu - Full Playlist
Listen to the original soundtracks of the indie film “Fu” produced by Hanzhi.