At the recently concluded 12th Zhejiang Film “Phoenix Awards” Ceremony, Mr Tian Zhiyuan, a teacher at the Huace School of Film of Communication University of Zhejiang (CUZ), was honoured with the Outstanding Art Direction Award for his work on the film The Tide. Among 45 competing films, The Tide stood out for its artistic achievement.

The jury commended the film with the following high praise:

“With the tidal flats of the Qiantang River as its artistic foundation, the film blends natural landscapes with humanistic storytelling. Through its integration of embankments, thatched cottages and the rhythm of the tides, paired with a low-saturation grey-blue colour palette, it evokes the damp and desolate textures of the region. By skilfully employing symbols from Eastern aesthetics, it reinforces the theme of ‘man’s struggle and coexistence with nature’, achieving a harmonious unity between the visual landscape and the film’s narrative depth.”

The Tide was jointly produced by CUZ and directed by Associate Professor Wan Bo of the Huace School of Film. Over 100 students and faculty members collaborated in its production. The film, set against the historical backdrop of land reclamation in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, was released nationwide on 11 March this year. It was selected for the “Chinese New Talents” section of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, entered the main competition of the 16th Macau International Film Festival, and received a nomination at the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival for the Asian Film Critics Award.

The film vividly restores a stirring chapter of collective struggle through visual storytelling, highlighting the enduring theme of humanity’s coexistence with nature. Drawing inspiration from the Qiantang tides, the creative team built a poetic yet realistic vision of the Jiangnan region. The use of cool greys contrasted with warm lighting delicately recreates the details of white-walled thatched houses and worn tools, conveying the resilience and warmth of the working people.

One of the biggest challenges in the production was the construction of the embankment scenes. Filming took place on location at Hulu Island, Haiyan County, Jiaxing, where the team overcame ecological restrictions and tidal changes to build a real embankment using stone materials.

“To achieve the most authentic visual effect, our core team visited land reclamation museums in Xiaoshan and Shanghai to study tools and settings from the 1960s and 70s,” said Mr Tian Zhiyuan, the film’s Art Director. “Despite the difficulties, we managed to build a 30-metre-long, 4-metre-high tamped-earth embankment in the middle of the river. We truly felt the ‘Yu Gong spirit’ of land reclamation during the process — our creative team and director accomplished something remarkable together.”

The art design’s contrast between the cool tones of the tide and the warm hues of human activity heightens the drama, balancing gritty realism with poetic imagination. Collaboration was key throughout the process — from historical research to set construction, collective wisdom shaped the project. This journey was not only a tribute to history but also a profound aesthetic exploration, creating a poetic spatial aesthetic of Jiangnan that resonates with both artistic and spiritual depth.

The Zhejiang Film “Phoenix Awards” are the province’s highest honours in film, co-organised by the Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Zhejiang Film Association. Since its inception in 2007, the award has become the first provincial-level film prize in China and an important platform for recognising excellence in Zhejiang-produced films.

The 12th Phoenix Awards Ceremony was jointly organised by the Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Zhejiang Film Association.