LIMITLESS

Limitless is an experimental fashion short film. Taking inspiration from RUI, a Chinese designer brand, it carries forward a message of body positivity. In particular, referring to “feminine ≠ woman = soft,” as indicated by Rui Zhou, the film also appeals to gender fluidity. In addition, knits are a very gentle fabric: delicate, but strong and powerful on the skin. Consequently, the filmmakers invited a soft boy, on a physical level, to present his personal struggle with gender fluidity through contemporary dance. What is the reconciliation journey of a soft-masculinity boy led by gender fluidity? Although produced as a student project, this short film conveys nothing of its origins, thanks to its aesthetic quality and the strength of its performances. Dancer and performer Jiyuan Zou shows a profound sense of the absence of boundaries between feminine and masculine. He is very intense and effective in his performance. The costumes and set designs are as diverse as the sexual genres they represent. Another strong point is the cinematography by Keng Huang. In this film, the camera movement and the richness of details make one feel that, if one looks at a person closely, they can be either female or male. Additionally, the sound design and editing emphasize the emotional sense conveyed by the voice-over in a very expressionistic way. It was Yining Zhou, a young and talented filmmaker, who decided on all these strong choices. In addition to being a director, Yining Zhou is also a creative director and production designer. She is currently pursuing an MA in Fashion Film and Digital Production at the University of the Arts London. A graduate of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, she studied Film and Television Production. With this background, she has produced a variety of films, TV programs, and advertising campaigns. At the moment, Yining is interested in skin and body positivity, capturing the beauty of the body from a uniquely female perspective. In her work, she often combines the various shapes and possibilities of skin with sound to express inner sensations. She has studied this topic throughout her postgraduate career, and the series currently includes SIZZLE SIZZLE and LIMITLESS. As a result, LIMITLESS won the August Monthly Competition of the Berlin Indie Film Festival as Best Fashion Film.