Runaway

The writer-director Amanda Lau is young and talented person who is making videos since 2020 working tirelessly to spread awareness as well as some happiness with creative imagination to get her mother land China get through the bad days through the female protagonist Ching (Hazel Chung).

The plot of Runaway revolves around a runner and her trainer and how their relationship evolves over time to bring out the best in both of them.

In the opening scene of the short film the camera pans up into Ching diligently working towards improving his running skills at the race course and quickly switches to a mid-shot where Ching is battling the cold and sneezes while she desperately wants to revive her career. The cinematographer Amanda Lau and Icey Shek are showcasing a lot of details from the life of the central character as they want to quickly appeal to the audience and build the desired emotional connection with the content because there is limited runtime of the film. The combination of mid-shot and close-up shot of the ticking clock and cross mark on the calendar provides the audience a sense of urgency and responsibility in mind of Ching to achieve a set goal without any barrier in her path. The set design, colour pallet, lighting, costume, hair, and makeup has been kept natural to complement the subject matter and also elevate the key messages so that the viewers can incorporate the same life lessons into their life and make changes that is for a better future.

In terms of performance, Amanda Lau plays the role of a trainer who is passionate to motivate all the sports people training under her to recognise their full potential no matter what the situation is. Lau portrays a strict yet understanding teacher through her body language, voice modulation, facial expressions and eyes. The writer, director and actor Lau does most of heavy lifting of the film successfully switching a well written script to the screen and also communicating the essence of the movie.

Hazel Chung plays Ching who is professional runner who is trying to come to her form but there are lot of problems occurring because of the ongoing pandemic in China. Chung effectively depicts the physical as well as emotional trauma the female protagonist is going through yet the thought of never giving up despite all the negativity is commendable and very inspiring for the audience.

Runaway talks about learning the art of persistence when one wants to achieve what one aspires for. The short film reiterates the significance of a teacher and student relationship in shaping up the present and future of the student and also talks its audience regarding what a good role model looks like. The cinematic piece highlights the struggles people are enduring daily as they are continuously combating Covid 19 in China. The creative piece teaches the viewers the importance of self-belief which helps one stay in a positive time frame to face every challenge life throws at us.