March 28, 2024

‘Ocean Heaven’ Featured in International Film Fest

Posted for Southern Maryland Higher Education CenterOcean Heaven Bridges to the World Film Festival
Leading Edge

On February 26, the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (SMHEC) will be screening the fourth of five films that are part  of the Bridges to The World International Film Festival. Ocean Heavenstarring Jet Li of The Expendables and Lethal Weapon 4, explores a father’s devotion to his young son.

The film series is a statewide, month-long initiative in recognition of  Maryland’s global reach and a reflection of those connections here. Each film will be screened at 6:30 pm, with a small reception to follow. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come first-served basis. All films are presented with English subtitles.

In Ocean Heaven, Li plays Sam whose son is a young adult on the autism spectrum. Sam must prepare him for life after his death. Curiously unsentimental and yet melodramatic, the film shows both the complex and heartwarming nature of autism. As Sam teaches Dafu basic, everyday tasks in order to prepare him for life on his own, he learns to accept help from friends and colleagues.

The film also highlights the serious lack of programs and services offered to help young adults on the autism spectrum. Dafu is too old to enter into government programs for children and teens, but too young for other government assistance programs. Ocean Heaven is based on 14 years of volunteer experience with a non-profit educational organization for children with autism.

Li, in his first “actionless” dramatic role, provides a desperate emotional center to a life-affirming story. Dafu is played by Wen Zhang, a popular television actor who recently broke into feature film. Zhang studied and interacted extensively with autistic adults in order to portray an honest and believable character. In honor of the familial commitment to and advocacy for children on the autism spectrum, director Xue Xiaolu dedicates the film “to all of the ordinary heroes among our parents.”

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