Synopsis
The story follows the lives of Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying in rural Gansu throughout the year of 2011. Guiying is disabled, incontinent and infertile, has been mistreated by her family, and is past the normal age by which women are normally expected to be married in rural China. Their families arrange their marriage, and they develop a closeness and later fall in love, leading a simple life farming with their donkey and facing difficulties together.Read More »
Sun Wukong, the King of the Monkeys, sets off on his first adventure to gain a worthy weapon. This earns the attention of the Jade Emperor of Heaven.Read More »
This is the second-last film made by Shanghai Animation Film Studio before the death of Mao Zedong, made in the dying weeks of the Cultural Revolution. Unusually for the studio, it was neither a production using puppets, nor traditional cel animation, but using the much rarer technique of paper-cutting.Read More »
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The rich complexity of human relationships is central to this story of a young girl, her father, and his father, who each long to strengthen their bonds, but find themselves fighting the weight of personal and national histories. Tibetan writer-director Sonthar Gyal (The Sun-Beaten Path) makes breathtaking use of the Tibetan plains and mountains as an epic backdrop to this intimate family drama.Read More »
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In a confined section of a psychiatric ward in Northeast China, patients of schizophrenia, mania, depression, compulsive sexual behaviour and alcohol addition receive the mandatory treatment. As soon as their heads are cleared, they try to break free but always fail. Under the control of drugs and unquestionable discipline, they begin to reflect on their souls, will, desire and thoughts.Read More »
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The leading clown role in a renowned theatre troupe passes on, and is welcomed into the Underworld. As he relives his vivid memories one last time before entering the afterlife, 50 years of art, struggle and love play out against …Read More »
Synopsis
The Chinese documentary movement continues to evolve, reaching new levels of awareness of issues complicating its mission to objectively capture the reality of its society. Among these issues is that of performance in its subjects; this is especially critical given that an increasing number of documentaries are personal portraits that delve into subjective experiences. Perhaps the most memorable instance of the past year is Qiu Jiongjiong’s stark black-and-white series of interviews with transsexual cabaret singer Madame Bi Langda. Madame Bi’s recollections of past experiences explicitly touch on how she performs her way through life, whether interacting with friends, lovers or her audience. More than a document of the increasingly complicated gender identity politics in China, it’s also a poignant testimony of a life dedicated to articulating the aesthetics of living.Read More »
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A man is murdered on a bus for trying to stop a pickpocket; no one lifts a finger to help him. He returns as a ghost and questions the empathy of the onlookers.
There are three spaces in this film. One of them is reality–like the incident on the bus. Another is the space of history, stretching back centuries to the matriarchal society of Banpo Village, outside Xi’an. You see the Mother, playing the drum. And there’s also the space of the imaginary–what the characters are thinking. In fact, it’s the space of the human soul.Read More »
