FROM PAIN TO PARADISE
From Pain to Paradise is an informative documentary shot while visiting The Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu, China. Lisa Yang, the English speaking guide of the rescue centre, tells us about the cruel historical background and the barbaric practices of bear farming in East Asian countries and the remarkable efforts of AnimalAsia Foundation to bring it to an end by rescuing these beautiful animals. Over the years, AnimalAsia Foundation has managed to rescue a total of 350 bears. They have also convinced Chinese and Vietnamese governments to stop issuing new bears farming licenses thus rescuing more than 700 bears.
2011, China / Finland, 16 min.
Prod. / Script / Dir. / Dir. of Phot. / Edit. / Sound: Ilias Missiris
Music: Chinese folk music
Ilias Missiris
He is a Greek by nationality, and lives in Vaasa, Finland. Studied electronic engineering at Piraeus polytechnic, in Greece, intercultural communication at Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland, audio-visual communication and media production in Vaasa. For the last 8 years, he has been working at the Ostrobothnian museum's Terranova Nature Centre as artistic director of Wildlife Vaasa Festival. Before that, for 5 years he had worked as a project manager for the Culture Department of Vaasa city in various EU-projects dealing with education, training and culture. He has also specialized in arranging media education workshops for children and young people, during the last 3 years. He has contributed to various TV-documentaries in Finland, Greece and lately in China. He has experience also in sound production, being an active performing musician for over 30 years, currently maintaining an ethno-folk music orchestra in Finland for the last 16 years.
Filmography
Nature and Animals around Us (2004), Shadow Theatre Animation Workshop for Children in 6 films (Uusi Tulokas, The Spider Story, Sonja ja Kumppanit, Puolen Kristinian Metsassa, Koulumatka, Ystavat Metsassa, 2008), Wildlife Vaasa Festival's media education project in 4 films (Moving Harbour, Green Flag Day, Rambling Trip to Kvarken, Great Predators, 2009), Wildlife Vaasa Festival's media education project in 12 films (The Giant's Call, The Attack of the Ghosts, The Magic Wand, The Animals' Year, Our School: Before and Now, To Friendship, The Kota-Stone Mystery, A Lesson from the Forest Rulers, Forest Peace in Danger, Honeymoon, The Kyronsi Movie, Kyro River Blues, 2010), Wildlife Vaasa Festival's media education project (Mission Possible, From Pain to Paradise, 2011).