Beautiful You
Visit Qiu Hopen's website:
www.aiqiuhopen.com
A review by Steve Fesenmaier, August 31, 2006
Judy and Ray Schmitt, award-winning filmmakers from Hardy County, have created a wonderful new documentary about one of the most unusual artists working in the state, Ai Qiu Hopen. The title of the film comes from “Beautiful You,” a song by Elaine Wine who was performing in Sutton one night when the Schmitts were visiting. They were in Sutton to screen “Lulu – Triumph of the Human Spirit,” their film about WV sculptor Lucien “Lulu” Ferrenbach, as part of an event bringing sculptors from around the world together. The Schmitts met Ai Qiu who is married to Bill Hopen, well-known Sutton-based sculptor. I recall Ray telling me that he “had never met anyone so alive in his life” and he couldn’t wait to start making the film about her. I asked him to send me the raw footage as soon as possible after he shot it because I was excited myself.
This was a year ago, and I never did see the raw footage. I did see the almost final version and it is stunning. The Schmitts have made a career making films about unusual, creative people including artist Twigman, WV-born photographer Jim Clark, WV-raised Abby Wathen, a young film actress, and others. All of the subjects are full of life, intelligence, and caring. None of them though are in the same universe as Ai Qiu who actually cries while reading a poem she has written about endangered children and who dances in a meadow. To hear her stories about her life in China, and to see her world class sculptures brought wonder to my own eyes. I had to recall all of those dazzling Chinese films that I have seen during the last twenty years, seeing at last a true story that was as amazing as any of those films. I could see a combination of photography styles from films by my friend Les Blank and his friend Werner Herzog, using the camera to move between the real world and the imaginary worlds Ai Qiu and her husband Bill Hopen create in their works of art.
The drawings by Ai Qiu were equally beautiful and the Schmitts use them well, as backdrops for speakers, the final 3-dimensional art, and otherwise. Even a song she sings is poignant. No wonder she is world-famous for making the most alive sculptures of musicians in existence.
Ai Qiu’s best story is about standing up to a forced marriage arranged by her father. Her second best story is about telling her parents she would find her own husband by writing him – and that is indeed how Hopen found her, or rather, she found HIM, on opposite sides of the world. The best artwork shown are their two young children, growing up as Asian-Appalachians, living on the joyous spirits of two parents who understand sadness as well as joy. I can’t wait to send a copy of this wonderful film to Les Blank and everyone else I know who loves art, life, and wonder. The world premiere will take place on Friday, October 6th, in Sutton at The WV Filmmakers Film Festival.
