Interview: “We Never Stay in One Room Forever” — Berlinale Talents Alumna Viv Li on "Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest"
Our 2021 Berlinale Talents alumna Viv Li has been keeping busy. Her debut documentary, "Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest", premiered at the 2026 Berlinale, while her work has screened at Venice, Cannes and other festivals in recent years. The filmmaker, who is currently developing her first narrative feature, took some time to catch up with us and reflect on her journey since joining Berlinale Talents.
Looking back on the making of "Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest", Viv discusses the role of the Berlinale Talents Lab and the Nipkow Fellowship in shaping the film, the audience conversation that has stayed with her the most, and how she translated feelings of cultural in-betweenness into the language of cinema.
You’ve had such an exciting last year, from competing with your film "You Jian Chui Yan" in the Venice Orizzonti Short Films Competiton, to “Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest” premiering at the Berlinale. What conversations with audiences or critics have stayed with you the most?
There were so many beautiful conversations. I keep quoting one about "Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest": watching the film feels like entering different rooms. Each room we enter, we observe how the people in the room are behaving and we learn to behave like them. Then we enter another room, we do the same. All these rooms are so different. Together they form a giant building that is just like "life". In life, we are constantly adapting, shifting and we never stay in one room forever.
You’ve described “Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest” as “transforming cultural whiplash into an offbeat search for identity and a playful quest for belonging”. How did you translate that emotional and cultural tension into the film’s visual language?
I have always wanted the film's artistic approach to assist the theme of the film, which is a collage of different situations, emotions and cultures. So we tried to edit in a non-linear form shifting between spaces and times. We also curated a playlist of mix music tracks that already carry memories and emotions in Chinese culture or German Culture. All these efforts help set up a state of being or a feeling that is hard to describe in words.
You developed your debut film “Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest” in the Berlinale Talents Doc Station and during your Nipkow Fellowship. How did those experiences impact the film and your process?
I attended Berlinale Talents and Nipkow Fellowship right after I arrived in Berlin - during the pandemic in 2021. It was such a difficult time both professionally and personally. But being in these two programs gave me hope, helped me set my goal straight and supported me not only as a filmmaker, but also as a freshly-arrived in Berlin.
Looking back, which scene from the film would you show yourself before moving to Berlin, and what would you want her to take from it?
Wow, this is a very difficult question and I struggle to pick just one scene, but I guess I would show myself one of the scenes with my family, especially those with my late grandma, just to remind myself how supportive and open my families are, even though sometimes they have no clue what I am doing.
You were a Berlinale Talent in 2021. Looking back, what was the most valuable experience or lesson you took away from that time?
Limitation can be a blessing. I remember not being able to do many things during 2021 because of how the world was back then, but that gave me automatic leads to things I could actually do.
What piece of advice would you give to emerging filmmakers who are trying to find their own voice and establish themselves in the industry?
Surround yourself with people who inspire you, support you, challenge you and make you laugh. Making a film is almost always a mission impossible. We should at least enjoy the way.
Finally, what’s next for you? Are there any stories, themes, or projects you’re particularly excited to explore in the future.
I am currently writing the screenplay of my first narrative feature, "Sun Haze", a road trip set in China. It is exciting because China has always brought us a lot of fun and inspiration. One day, I hope I can make a film blending Kungfu, great food and astrophysics - things I have cared about since childhood.
Viv Li is a Chinese filmmaker based in Berlin. An alumna of Sundance Institute and Berlinale Talents, her film ACROSS THE WATERS was nominated for the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes 2024 and won the Lights On Women’s Worth Award. Her work has also competed at Venice Film Festival and won awards at IDFA. Her documentary debut TWO MOUNTAINS WEIGHING DOWN MY CHEST premiered at Berlinale 2026, earning a Teddy Award nomination and making her works present across all “Big Three” film festivals.
Find out more about Viv Li and her work here.