Temple Keeper
2024
HD Video, 11’30”
Developed in the residency with Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation co-organized with French association Rempart in Shanxi, China, this short film documents the roof restoration work of an 800-year-old temple that has lived through war, riot, theft, and mass demolition of heritage during the Cultural Revolution. The survival of the temple was result of two different efforts: the people from the village who physically protected the temple against destruction, and the dragons on the roof that guarded the temple against evil spirits throughout centuries.
During the restoration, the dragons were descended from the roof for cleaning. Chia LEE took the opportunities to invite the dragons to have a tea, where they started telling the stories of the temple…This short film is composed of the image of the restoration process, scenes of tea conversation with beautiful earthenware dragons, and interviews with elder people from the village. While presenting an parallel, imaginary world interwoven with the “real” world, this film keeps a precious record for the fading past of the ancient temple and its villagers.