“Hurry up! Is the camera rolling yet?”
Even after three years, QIU Enyu, a Class of 2025 Journalism graduate, still remembers the frantic vibes of her very first shoot like it was yesterday.
Back in the fall of 2022, as a new sophomore, she joined the crew of the documentary film The Moon Is Yours. She and her classmates served as on-site documentary directors, embarking on a three-year project to capture the authentic experiences of international students in China. Involving over a hundred students, the film is now a flagship work of the School of Journalism’s Video and Audio Workshop.
The documentary follows six Fudan international students from different countries and backgrounds. And in late August, it has been cleared for release.
In Front of Handan North Canteen: Where Talent Scouts Assemble
With so many international students on campus, where do you even start finding good stories?
“In front of North Canteen!” several students answered—instantly, unanimously. It’s one of the most popular social hubs for Fudan’s international students.
“So we basically hyped ourselves up and just walked right up to them and introduced ourselves,” said then-sophomore YU Chuchu, laughing. The students had little to go on—just a list of names and nationalities. They divided the list, each person tasked with talking to around three students. Even the self-proclaimed introverts switched on “extrovert beast mode,” connecting through chats and friend networks, one introduction snowballing into the next. These initial efforts formed the foundation of the three-year project.
To make the interactions feel natural, they broke the ice by building genuine friendships. This helped students from different backgrounds, who might not have otherwise connected, bridge the gap between them. For the Chinese students, the experience unexpectedly became a real-world English “bootcamp”. A few considered bringing a translator device, then ditched the idea because it felt too awkward.
“So I just prepped like crazy and forced myself to speak,” one student recalled. In these genuine conversations, real understanding blossomed.
“The audience only ever sees six subjects, noted Chuchu, but we initially shot with a much larger group.” The casting was a dynamic process; the team had to drop some subjects as their stories veered off course, while new ones joined along the way. The editors then faced the monumental task of whittling down 1,200 hours of footage into a compelling 102-minute film—one that is deeply authentic yet packed with emotional resonance.
Behind the Camera: Professional Craft and Hard Work
For YU Chuchu, those three years felt like a full-scale masterclass in documentary filmmaking.
“Pre-production, shooting, post-production—I did a bit of everything.” The experience sharpened her understanding of the entire filmmaking workflow and dramatically improved her communication skills.
“The night before each shoot, I would confirm every detail with the subject,” she said. “We tried our best to film without disrupting their daily routines.” And yet—the charm of documentaries lies precisely in their unpredictability.
“I think I’ve become much more open-minded,” she reflected on the fact that the real story doesn't always unfold as expected. “Now I’m better at staying calm when life throws curveballs.”
“Before every shoot, we had to write a detailed shooting plan,” added QIU Enyu. Early in production, students handled most of the filming; later, professionals joined in. Each student director had to investigate their subject’s life, identify meaningful storylines, and prepare a plan listing scenes, locations, timing, equipment, and more.
“Usually we split into roles—producer, camera, sound,” she said. “But when everyone had class at the same time, it wasn’t unusual for one person to juggle three jobs.”
Connie Chan, an international student from Malaysia, also participated deeply in casting and test shoots. Filming others unexpectedly helped her process her own journey as an international student. She remembered waiting at the airport to film a student greeting her visiting father—until a two-hour flight delay turned the moment into something quietly emotional.
“She went from anxious, to tense, to suddenly tearing up,” Connie recalled. “The moment hit me so hard. Anyone far away from home would understand.”
That experience later helped Connie land a production role at a cultural TV program dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine presented by China Media Group.
“It was exactly the same skill set—conducting quick background research on guests and identifying their authentic personal narratives.” She now interns at a film company, working on TV dramas.
Emilce Yan’s main task when she joined the post-production crew earlier this year was subtitle checking. “The first time, I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking for,” she recalled. One marathon session kept her reviewing footage from 2 p.m. until midnight. The film director encouraged questions, and his answers, she said, taught her a great deal. She now has a much better understanding of an editor’s role. “Editing is way tougher than I imagined.” She concluded, “but at least now I know what I'd be getting into.”
On Camera: Growing Pains, Unfiltered
What about the students in front of the lens? “It’s not easy for participants to reveal the messy, vulnerable parts of their lives,” Chuchu admitted. “Everyone wants to show their best self.”
But life isn’t always sunshine.
“I could barely watch when Pascal got harshly criticized by his supervisor,” Enyu recalled.
So what did Pascal Kwangwari, the Zimbabwean medical student himself, think?
“To be honest, I was a little worried,” he laughed. “I didn’t want people to misunderstand my supervisor—he’s actually really nice!” Now in his final year of his master’s program, Pascal feels more confident than ever.
“Looking back, those problems weren’t as big as I thought. The film shows how much I’ve grown. I hope it encourages others—especially medical students—who feel stuck.”
In 2023, Pascal and his fellow teammates won the “Future China Expert Award” at the 5th SFLEP Cup National College Students’ Intercultural Competence Contest. He even delivered a speech on behalf of international students at the university’s commencement ceremony. Now pursuing a Chinese-taught medical master’s degree, he has a message for newcomers, “I studied medicine in Chinese, interned in affiliated hospitals, improved my skills and my language. I made it—and so can you.”
The documentary also captured the beginning of Pascal's romance. He met his girlfriend from Zimbabwe, who was studying in Nanjing, during the filming process. By this past May, their families had met.
“She makes a small appearance in the film—back then we were just dating,” Pascal said shyly. “Now we're practically engaged. The film lets us relive our journey together.”
Filip Komšić from Croatia, meanwhile, became the film’s unexpected comic relief.
“Totally unplanned—but hey, that’s life!” he joked. Beneath the humor, though, was a young man deeply serious about his career. From tailoring a perfect suit to preparing meticulously for interviews, his quiet determination mirrors that of countless Chinese students entering the job market.
During screenings earlier this year, Filip watched his two-year journey at Fudan’s School of Economics play out on the big screen—just as he was deciding between job offers in China and Croatia.
“The film reminded me why I came to China in the first place,” he said. “My goal has always been to build a long-term future here.” He’s now preparing to return to China next year.
Six Journeys, One Shared Hope
Besides Pascal and Filip, The Moon Is Yours follows Raimonda Da Ros, an Italian PhD student navigating a period of self-discovery, Vladimir Melnikov, a Russian medical student trying to build a family in China, Phra Udom Siritientong, a Thai student seeking harmony between philosophical inquiry and family bonds, and Conor Burke, an American student who gave up his real-estate job in the U.S. and started pursuing medical training in China.
The film held two public screenings in May and June to enthusiastic response—especially among young audiences, who saw their own anxieties and hopes reflected on screen.
Producer LU Liu from the School of Journalism, noted that the production itself became an exercise in cross-cultural exchange. “Chinese and international students co-created the film. This Gen-Z collaborative model fits their communication habits and can strengthen the film’s global resonance.”
Director Wubei said emotionally, “As a non-commercial documentary film, every step was tough. But through three years of continuous filming, we captured—perhaps for the first time so deeply—the real journey of international students studying and working in China.”
The same moon shining on these six young people far from home also lights the shoulders of every Fudan student who has ever looked up at it. The Moon Is Yours is not just six stories—it’s a portrait of youth itself, full of ambition, confusion, courage, and connection.
The film is slated for official nationwide theatrical release next year. Stay tuned—and stay moonlit.
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Writer: GONG Ruixin
Editor: WANG Mengqi, LI Yijie
