The event began with a brief introduction to the film, followed by the screening and an online lecture titled "Empathy Through Lens: A Discussion on 'Us Against Us' with Andra Tarara," followed by a Q&A session. The Chinese audience was impressed by the story, appreciating the protagonist`s courage and honesty, calling them "heroes." After a series of questions, the event ended emotionally, with applause.
Over 120 spectators attended the screening, including people from psychological counseling centers, Chinese and Romanian students, teachers, diplomats, etc., and the president of EUNIC China, Federico Roberto Antonelli, who appreciated the event for its success.
The documentary "Us Against Us" (2020), directed by Andra Tarara, explores the profound impact of mental illnesses on family relationships through an intimate story between a father and his daughter. Andra Tarara and her father film each other during emotional interviews, discussing schizophrenia, their past, and the concept of happiness. The film reveals their inner traumas and attempts to understand each other.
Andra Tarara is a documentary film director, camerawoman, editor, video artist, photographer, and archivist. She graduated from UNATC in Film and Television (2016) and has a master's degree in Visual Anthropology from SNSPA in Bucharest (2018). She is interested in themes such as personal stories related to broader social, political, and historical mechanisms. "A Death in My Family" (premiere at the Transilvania International Film Festival - Romanian Film Days, 2018) is Andra's first directed film, a short documentary shot on 35mm and digital, which she also filmed and edited. Currently, Andra works as an archivist at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant - MNȚR Ethnological Archive - and as an independent photographer and videographer.
The film "Us Against Us" is produced by Tangaj Production, Anamaria Antoci, and Anda Ionescu and was presented in competition at the Ji.hlava IDFF 2020, Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest 2020, Moldova Film Festival 2021, Moscow International Documentary Film Festival Doker 2021, Ceau! Cinema 2021, Transilvania International Film Festival 2021, and ASTRA Film Festival 2021, where it won the award for the best Romanian film.
The EUNIC China "Ability over Disability" campaign will continue until December with a EUNIC film festival, live performances, art exhibitions, and many other events associated with disability, supported by the EU representation in China and in collaboration with local Chinese partners (private galleries, libraries, unions, and associations of people with disabilities, etc.). The goal of this joint project is to share experiences between Europe and China on this subject, thereby contributing to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families in our societies and worldwide.
The event promotion was carried out on ICR/ICR Beijing's online social media platforms (Website/WeChat/Facebook) and on social networks.
