Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Jianjie Lin, the Writer-Director Behind Brief History of a Family

By Bailey Pennick

One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about them as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!

The first part of my life has little to do with film, Jianjie Lin explains when asked about how he got into filmmaking in the first place. My study to become a biologist was going well until I was offered a chance to pursue a master's degree at one of the best universities in China. I had an early existential crisis and started questioning my long-term commitment to the field. So I wrote a short list of new things I wanted to explore, and filmmaking was the craziest and furthest from what I did. Well, why not?

From that bold scratch pad decision years ago, the writer-director got his MFA, made two short films, and embarked on the journey of making his debut feature. Brief History of a Family, which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, weaves the complexities of how China is changing after the dissolving of its one-child policy through the lens of one family and the son's blossoming friendship with another at school.

High emotions, tense rivalries, and familial struggles swirl within Lin's inspired feature. Below hear from the artist himself about the challenges of making Brief History of a Family, why this story needs to be told now, and his favorite recent Sundance films.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-jianj...
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