Hometown Boy

Liu Xiao-Dong is a figurative painter, one of the most famous artists on the Chinese scene. He’s collaborated frequently on cinematic productions. In this film, he returns to his hometown, Jincheng, in Liaoning province, to revisit and re-paint family and old friends. The film, which won Best Documentary at the Golden Horse Film Festival, Taipei in 2012, accompanies the artist on his voyage of rediscovery of places and presences from the past, observing with him the changes taking place. Filming Liu Xiao-Dong at work immortalizing the subjects of his paintings, meticulously organizing the details of every scene, Yao Hung-I renders an exciting portrait of the artist, documenting the mysterious process of his painting. The documentary, and the paintings produced by the artist during filming, were presented at the 2011 UCCA in Beijing, within the context of his one-man show, also titled “Hometown Boy”.