The Venice Film Festival is currently taking place in Italy, and in the Orizzonti Section of the event, Chinese director Yang Zhengfan's short film "Down There" was chosen as a competing work. Our report Li Yaoyang tells us what exactly is going on "Down There".

A blissful night, unexpectedly interrupted by a sound from downstairs – "Down There" is an 11-minute short film, triggering various reactions from audiences. After the screening, most spectators say they're amazed by the film's single long take, the off-screen sounds and the collective psychology.

LAURA SANTINI ITALIAN VIEWER "I think the most interesting things are the topic and the shots. The noises out of shot are something that asks for attention, but no one cares."

FRANCESCO VIRGA ITALIAN VIEWER "I appreciate this Chinese short film very much, because it has an idea and a point of view. That's not common with other short films. This movie takes a position using simple language, and plays with suggestions and tips."

According to the director, seeing is believing, and hearing is perhaps not so deceiving.

YANG ZHENGFAN DIRECTOR, "DOWN THERE" "All my films have a common motif. That is, the existence of the city as a modern space and the changes of relations among people in this space. For me, the motif is very important because it allows us to see not only the relations between individuals and space, but also the relations between individuals and time in the modern context. The difference of our status of identity nowadays and in the past is always a theme that I am concerned with."

Just as one of Yang's previous films "Where Are You Going", "Down There" continues to use only one shot with some sounds from outside, leaving plenty of room for the imagination of what is in the off-screen space.

YANG ZHENGFAN DIRECTOR, "DOWN THERE" "In real life, our version is limited, while our hearing is not. Just like films, the screen has a limit, but sounds don't. Therefore I would like to use some unconventional techniques, getting close to our life experience. This way people, can easily get into the story, and reflect life experience."

LI YAOYANG VENICE "Orizzonti section, or the 'Horizons section' is open to all 'custom-format' works. But young Chinese directors seem to have become pioneers here. Their works are widening views to new trends in expressive languages that converge in film. Li Yaoyang, CGTN. Venice, Italy.