China

  • Tian Xie – Cha guan AKA Teahouse (1982)

    1981-1990ChinaDramaTian Xie

    An old teahouse in Beijing serves as the stage for a drama that unfolds over several tumultuous decades of modern Chinese history, from the waning days of the Qing dynasty to the eve of the People’s Republic.Read More »

  • Yu Li – Guan yin shan AKA Buddha Mountain [Extended Cut] (2010)

    2001-2010AsianChinaDramaYu Li

    Quote:
    Ding Bo (Chen Po Lin) and his friends Nan Feng (Fan Bingbing) and Fei Zao aka Fatso (Fei Long) are a trio of 20-something outsiders who have no intention of sitting exams and getting into universities.Read More »

  • Xueshu Yan – Ye shan AKA In The Wild Mountains (1986)

    1981-1990ChinaDramaXueshu Yan

    Quote:
    Two mismatched farming couples experience both sexual and social change in 1980s China. Husband-swapping and entrepreneurial zeal fuse in this superbly shot, wittily realised take on a country where rambunctious capitalism and desiring bodies are two sides of the same coin.
    NY : ‘Hard life in country’ indeed – the country being rural China, the time being some unspecified point in the mid-70s. Plausible in both details and atmosphere, the film is more concerned with character-development than plot – and topical/political references, though scattered throughout (“the government wants us to make money now”… “Not the police has changed, it’s a good chance for us all”), aren’t delivered in too heavy-handed a fashion.Read More »

  • Zhangke Jia – Shijie AKA The World (2004)

    2001-2010ArthouseChinaDramaZhangke Jia

    Shijie (2004)

    Quote:
     Jia Zhang Ke’s The World continues along the same path as Platform and Unknown Pleasures, but it’s livelier. This gorgeous, profoundly melancholy distillation of contemporary China’s precarious global position is his most accessible film to date. From the stunning opening tracking shot, in which Tao (Zhao Tao) glides through the backstage of the eponymous amusement park, loudly asking for a Band-Aid, Jia cannily conflates the magical and the prosaic. The World may end with a whimper, but it certainly starts with a bang. That opening immediately establishes a strong sense of community, but by the end of the film, we learn that among the working class in contemporary Beijing, the bonds of friendship and romance are ephemeral by necessity. Read More »

  • Ruijun Li – Jia zai shui cao feng mao di di fang AKA River Road (2014)

    2011-2020ChinaDramaRuijun Li

    IMDB:
    RIVER ROAD is the story of two Yugur ethnic minority brothers, Bartel and Adikeer. They set out on a journey across the prairies of northwestern China in search of their parents, skillfully maneuvering their camels over the vast expanse of dry ground. The allure of the film’s core components – the great outdoors, children, and animals – instantly catch our attention. Though realistic, the boys’ journey, powered by dreams and anxiety, is depicted with a touch of fantasy. And to firmly establish his characters, director Li Ruijun imbues this impressive effort – a coming-of-age drama couched in the guise of an adventure – with a winning sense of humor rooted in careful attention to detail. At the heart of the film, however, is a mournful air, bemoaning the disappearance of ethnic minorities and the destruction of nature. As suggested by its epic scale, the work has the classic qualities of a film that allows us to enjoy being emotionally affected emotional by what we see.Read More »

  • Jin Wang – Chujia nu AKA The Wedding Maidens (1990)

    1991-2000AsianChinaDramaJin Wang

    From Wikipedia:
    The Wedding Maidens (Chinese: 出嫁女; pinyin: Chūjià nǚ) is a 1990 Chinese drama film directed by Wang Jin. It was entered into the 17th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Special Silver St. George.Read More »

  • Pema Tseden – Qi qiu AKA Balloon (2019)

    2011-2020ArthouseChinaDramaPema Tseden

    A family struggles against the conflicting dictates of nature, spirituality, politics, and free will.Read More »

  • Tieli Xie & Yuan Zhao – Hong lou meng AKA A Dream in Red Mansions (1988)

    1981-1990ChinaDramaTieli XieTVYuan Zhao

    Based on the mid-eighteenth century novel by Cao Xueqin, the third version (previous version was 38 episodes) of “A Dream in Red Mansions” (aka Dream of the Red Chamber) is known by many to be the ultimate and best adaptation of the story either on TV or film. It is a story about the tragic love of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, and the prosperity and decline of the four notable feudal ruling-class families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue. Daiyu is a beautiful and talented girl, but prone to ill health. Baoyu, nonetheless, falls for her over the years and puts up with her sensitivity and ill-tempered personality. They, along with their family-favored and tactful cousin Xue Baochai, reside in the Grand View Garden. The garden was built to honor the visit of Baoyu’s sister, Imperial Consort Jia Yuanchun. Her installment marked the height of the families’ status, prosperity and power. This story also gives praise to the work and revolts of the many servants and nurses in the Grand View Garden. With its beautiful scenery, solid cast ensemble, haunting and superb music score and elegant songs, “A Dream in Red Mansions” remains one of the most beloved and popular Chinese TV-series to date.Read More »

  • Vivian Qu – Shuiyin jie AKA Trap Street (2013)

    2011-2020ChinaDramaVivian Qu

    “Shuiyin Jie’s straightforward approach to the harsh reality in 21st century China is as courageous as it is terrifying…” ScreenAnarchyRead More »

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