Sounds of Nature

At the Swiss public swimming pool, teenagers enjoy their new-found freedom as much as their fries. Two years later, they are still the same, but their outside and inside have changed. The demolition of the orange slide and the modernisation of the pool make them think back to their childhood. A new, diverse generation is growing up in the Badi.

A family who emigrated to Germany, escaping from Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship in Romania, recalls a world without opportunities or hope for the future, of ever-present fear and a constant struggle for survival. They look back on what made them exchange their home for the promise of freedom in an uncertain future.

Director Fabian Biasio is stuck in a dilemma: as an urban cyclist, he has a latent hatred of cars. He compensates for his vulnerability with a generous interpretation of the traffic rules. But as soon as he sits behind the wheel of a car, he becomes a driver with heart and soul. He asks himself where this desire comes from and discovers worlds previously hidden from him.

High expectations from parents, teachers and future employers last on shoulders of young Jiaotong University students, like Wu and Tang, the protagonists of this film. At the same time there’s an urge to find a romantic companion and experience more in life than a well paid job in the future. Today’s job market in Shanghai is tough. Only the best will make it. There is a general belief that after the job situation is settled, everything else will fall into place. Is there anything more important in life than having career opportunities? How do you fall in love on a University Campus with 20’000 students? How do you cope with personal struggles and uncertainties? Those are questions I was interested when filming at one of Chinas Elite Universities.