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The other Oscars: Tradition and modernity clash in 'Butter Lamp'
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Feb 20, 2015
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The other Oscars: Tradition and modernity clash in 'Butter Lamp'
It's the first Oscar-nominated Live Action Short from China, and it focuses on the interesting moments that happen before a photo is taken.
"Butter Lamp" is an Oscar nominee for Best Live Action Short. It's a simple story where a photographer takes photos of traditional families in Tibet.
"Butter Lamp" is an Oscar nominee for Best Live Action Short. It's a simple story where a photographer takes photos of traditional families in Tibet.
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AMA Productions/Goya Entertainment
)

It's the first Oscar-nominated Live Action Short from China, and it focuses on the interesting moments that happen before a photo is taken.

In the Oscar-nominated short film, "Butter Lamp," a photographer takes staged pictures of nomad families in Tibet in front of artificial backdrops like a big city or Disneyland.

But the film is, in many ways, more about the interesting little moments before the photo is taken.
 
It provides a look at how tradition and modern times merge in that country, sometimes seamlessly, sometimes with difficulty.

Writer/director of "Butter Lamp" Hu Wei and producer Julien Feret tell Take Two that they are incredibly proud to work on the first Oscar-nominated short film from China.