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MULAN Trailer
(...) |
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September 27, 2009 |
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Teaser
poster used in Cannes
(Image:
Starlight International Media Co., Ltd,
PKU Starlight Group, Hunan TV & Broadcast Intermediary Program
Branch, Beijing
Gallop Horse Film & TV Production, Shanghai
Film Group Corp., Polybona Film Distribution Co., Ltd.) |
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Opening This
Week: September
19 - 25, 2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 25, 2009 |
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Jing Tian Dong Di |
Copy Cat |
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Images: August First Film Studio, Jiangxi Film Studio, YZ Media,
Culture Development Co., Ltd., Gao Mei Gao TV and TV Planning Co., Ltd.,
Yin Du Zi Xian Film Distribution Co., Ltd. |
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In
Jing Tian Dong Di,
when the Great Sichuan Earthquake strikes, soldiers of various
military units join the mission to search for survivors, with or
without order from their superiors.
In Copy Cat, a guy's life falls into chaos after he accidentally
discovers a bootleg disc factory.
Other new releases:
China:
none
Hong Kong:
Bandslam
(USA / UK)
Le Silence de Lorna / Lorna's Silence
(Belgium / France / Italy / Germany)
Surrogates
(USA)
The Time Traveler's Wife
(USA)
Taiwan:
Amalfi
(Japan)
Ichi
(Japan)
Naoko
(Japan)
The September Issue
(USA)
Sorority Row
(USA)
Surrogates
(USA)
The Visitor
(USA)
Click here for more |
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The Founding of a Star-Spotting Triumph, a
Sequel
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 24, 2009 |
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Image: Beijing Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, CCTV Movie Channel,
China Film Group, Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Media Asia Films,
Universe Entertainment. |
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A movie sequel? Not really. But a follow-up
to my article from last week, about a Chinese movie titled
The Founding of a Republic. In that article, I wrote the
movie had strong box-office potential. Now the figure is out, in
China the movie collected approximately 130 million yuans
(US$19.0 millions) from last Thursday to last Sunday and became
the movie reaching 100 million yuans mark in the shortest time,
breaking the record held previously by Red Cliff I. It is
estimated the film will reach the 200 million yuan mark (US$29.3
millions) before the coming weekend.
The Founding of a Republic
was originally only about the founding of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Held in September of
1949, the CPPCC, participated by the Chinese Communist Party and
other pro-CCP political activists, legalized the founding of a new
Communist-led government, to replace the militarily defeated
Nationalist government. Later the script was re-written to expand
the timeline back to 1946. More historical events were added during
the writing, including the doomed to fail peace talk between
Nationalist and the Communist and the bloody civil war which
followed.
The movie was created as one of many “main
melody” movies, made with propaganda purpose, to coincide with the
grand national celebration of the 60th anniversary of the People’s
Republic. That piece of history is very well known in China and the
Chinese really have very limited interest of buying tickets to go
through it once again on the silver screen.
Once upon a time, the Mao’s totalitarianism time,
all Chinese movies were all funded by the state, made by state-run
studios and were shown to the people for free or almost free.
Box-office return was not a concern and showing the
government-approved ideology was what really matter. Starting in
late 1970s, when Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping triggered the Reform,
movies with less or no propaganda elements, though still being made
by state enterprises, were allowed to be made. However, only a
handful of them generated desired financial returns. In early 1990,
the audiences began lining up to watch Hollywood blockbusters, which
were allowed to be released in China only a few months after their
original release in the US. These Hollywood blockbusters, called
“big movies” in China, instantly became the major sellers in China,
which made the Chinese filmmakers very jealous and decided to strike
back.
In December of 2002, Zhang Yimou’s Hero
became the reason that movie theaters in China were jammed with
people. The first domestic-made “big movie” was born. The formula
which made Hero a success story, a big budget, an all-star cast and
crew and a polished script, has generated dozens home-made “big
movies” ever since.
Now the only genre not making much of money is
“main melody” and The Founding of a Republic is one of such
“melodies”. But Han Sanping, president of China Film Group (CFG),
who produced and co-directed the film got creative. Why not using
the exclusive power of CFG to turn the movie into a cash cow. In
China, if an enterprise’s name started with “China”, the enterprise
is very likely: 1, fully-owned or controlled by the center
government; 2, has legally generated monopoly status or shares the
monopoly status with a few other enterprises with names start with
“China”.
CFG does not have monopolistic status in Chinese
filmmaking industry but it is the only studio bearing the word
“China” and maintains relationship with the authority closer than
any competitor. Founded in 1999, it has made a series of “main
melodies”. When a private studio in the mainland China or Hong Kong
wants a partner, which has great influence on the authority to
greenlight a movie project, CFG would be the top candidate. In fact,
many recent Chinese blockbusters were co-produced by CFG, like
Jackie Chan’s The Myth (2005), Jet Li’s Fearless
(2006), Tsui Hark’s Missing (2008), Peter Chan’s The
Warlords (2007), Yee Tung-Shing’s Protégé (2007), Donnie
Yen’s Flash Point (2007), Andy Lau’s Three Kingdoms:
Resurrection of the Dragon (2008), Stephen Chow’s CJ7,
Chen Kaige’s Forever Enthralled (2008), John Woo’s Red
Cliff (2008) and Lu Chuan’s City of Life and Death
(2009). It is also involved in the production of Confucius
(2010) starring Chow Yun-Fat and Hollywood production Kung Fu Kid
(2010) with Jackie Chan.
For The Founding of a Republic, CFG formed
partnership with element studios from the mainland China and Hong
Kong to share the budget. Han fully understood that the young people
are the major population now willing to buy movie tickets. To
attract then movie stars and well-known directors from the mainland
and Hong Kong were invited to play real historical persons and Han
also encouraged them to work for free to show their support for the
film and to cut the budget. The result is reported 172 stars and
directors volunteered for the movie and most of them only played
cameo roles.
A massive and expensive marketing campaign was
launched even before the camera starting to roll and the major
message promoted by the campaign was that a record-breaking number
of stars played in the movie with great patriotic pride. The public
seem actually bought it, mainly out of the curiosity on the
performance of those stars. Hype was gradually building up and the
all-star cast list was released not at once but batch by batch. When
it finally opened in last Wednesday, people, mostly youngsters,
showed up at movies theaters throughout China to watch stars shining
on the big screen and to receive a paid 135 minute long patriotic
education, something they had never dreamed of. |
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TREASURE
HUNTER Posters+ Teaser Trailer
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 19, 2009 |
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Images: Chang-Hong Channel Film & Video Co., China Film Group Corp. |
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Treasure Hunter, aka Ci Ling, tells a young adventurer is given
a treasure map, which leads him deep into the desert, where he
meets a beautiful girl and an archeologist. They have to race
against the clock to reach the treasure before the men of an
evil "company".
This Indiana Jones-like thriller is pointedly produced by
Taiwan's Chang-Hong Channel Film & Video Co. and Beijing-based
China Film Group Corp.
This is Taiwan director Chu Yen-Ping's 28th film. Ching Siu-Tung
handled the action sequences.
The male and female leads are played by Jay Chou and Lin Chiling,
both are from Taiwan. Mainalnd Chinese actor Chen Daoming plays
the archeologist. The cast also includes Eric Tsang, Chen Chuhe,
Miao Pu and Ke Shuyuan. Release in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong
will start in December this year.
Click here:
A
B
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Opening This
Week: September
12 - 18,
2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 18, 2009 |
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The Founding of a Republic |
Accident |
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3
Narrow Gates |
2'20 |
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Images: Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, CCTV Movie Channel, China
Film Group, Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Guoli Changsheng Movies & TV
Productions Co., Hualu Baina Movie Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Broadcasting
Corporation, Media Asia Films, Universe Entertainment, Media Asia Films
(Hong Kong), Milky Way Image Company, Han Hui Films (?). |
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The Founding of a
Republic chronicles the conflict between two political powers in
China during the late 1940s.
Accident tells an
assassin who is good at making every kill job looks like an
accident, is strikes by a real accident, which drives him crazy.
3 Narrow Gates
tells a story of three total strangers uncovering a great political
scandal.
2'20 shows how a
talented swimmer is moved by a disabled young boy.
Other new releases:
China:
none
Hong Kong:
Away We Go
(USA / UK)
The Final Destination
(USA)
Haeundae
(South Korea)
The Limits of Control
(Spain / USA / Japan)
Taiwan:
Murderer
(Hong Kong)
Agathe Cléry
(France)
Carriers
(USA)
I Hate Valentine's Day
(USA)
Into the Faraway Sky
(Japan)
Love Twisted
(Japan)
The Rebound
(USA)
La Mujer Sin Cabeza
/
Headless Woman
(Argentina / France / Italy / Spain)
Surrogates
(USA)
Youth without Youth
(USA / Germany / Italy / France / Romania)
Click here for more |
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Set Construction Begins for Chen
Kaige's THE ORPHAN OF ZHAO (MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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September 17, 2009 |
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Chen Kaige made a speech at the ceremony.
Image: Sina.com. |
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A ceremony held yesterday marked the set
construction for Chen Kaige’s new historical drama literally
titled
The Orphan of Zhao
(Zhao Shi Gu
Er) has
officially begun. Located in Zhejiang Province’s Xiangshan
County, approximately 200 kilometers south of Shanghai, the
gigantic set will include a place, a blacksmith’s shop, a
school, various private houses, a market, a barrack and a
square. Construction will be done before the yearend.
The film will be based on a real story during
China’s Spring and Autumn Period (722 – 481 BC). In 583 BC in the
state of Jin, minister Tu’an Jia murdered all members of the
politically powerful Zhao family for political reason. The older
sister of the king, who married to one of the Zhaos, Zhao Shuo,
survived the killing and soon after gave birth to a boy. To save the
only heir of Zhao, Gongsun Chujiu, a confidant of Zhao Shuo, and his
friend Cheng Ying runs away with the baby. Then Cheng Ying sold off
their hiding place and Gongsun Chujiu and the baby were killed by
Tu’an Jia’s men. In fact, the whole thing was just a plan Gongsun
Chujiu and Cheng Ying came out to protect the real baby, who was
secretly raised by Cheng Ying deep in the mountain. 15 years later,
realizing the killing of the Zhaos was a mistake, the king sent
Tu’an Jia to death and let the boy inebriate his father’s
property and title.
The story was well documented by was dramatized
in a Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) play titled
The Orphan of Zhao, which is the
source for plays of many forms of traditional Chinese operas.
Chen
Kaige attended the ceremony, along with his wife actress producer
Chen Hong and actor Sun Honglei, who may have joined the cast. Both
Chen and Sun starred in Chen Kaige's
Forever Enthralled. |
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Jackie vs. Jaden - Spy Photo
from KUNG FU KID LOCATION
(...) |
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September 17, 2009 |
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Jackie Chan vs. Jaden Smith.
Image: ?. |
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These spy photos were taken on Tuesday at
Wudang Mountain of central
China. One major birth place of Chinese martial-art, many Taoist
monasteries can be found in the mountain.
Kung Fu Kid is a remake of Karate Kid, starring Jackie Chan and
Jaden Smith. It is a joint production by China Film Group,
Columbia Pictures, Jerry Weintraub Productions and Overbrook
Entertainment. The script is penned by Steve Conrad ( The
Promotion,
The Pursuit of Happiness,
The Weather Man) and the
director is Harald Zwart (The
Pink Panther 2,
Long Flat Balls,
One Night at McCool's).
More spy photos:
A
B
C
D
E
F
August production in Beijing Forestry University:
A
B
Teaser poster
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The Three Guns of Zhang Yimou's AMAZING TALES: THREE GUNS?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 16, 2009 |
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Image: New Picture Film Co. |
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Three new stills for Zhang Yimou's Amazing Tales: Three Guns are
released today. In one of the stills, the female lead Yan Ni is
holding a three-barrel pistol. Could this be the "Three Guns" as
hinted in the title?
More stills:
A
B
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Zhang
Ziyi in Talk to Join Gu Changwei's THE AGE OF MAGIC
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 16, 2009 |
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Zhang Ziyi's first comedy, also her producing debut,
Sohpie's Revenge, does well in China.
Image: Perfect World Co., CJ Entertainment, China Film Group. |
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Rumor suggests Zhang Ziyi will star in a new movie titled The
Age of Magic (literal) and Gu Changwei, who is attached to
direct, has declined to comment on the rumor.
While talking to the Chinese press, Gu said the film would tell
a "beautiful love story" with a lot of magic shows. Shooting
will start in March next year.
A brief synopsis appears on the website of the Chinese State
Administration of Radio, Film and TV:
A as and beautiful love story in a village hit hard by a
incurable disease.
As a cinematographer, Gu Changwei worked with Zhang Yimou in
Red Sorghum and Ju Dou, with Chen Kaige in King of
the Children, Life on a String and Farewell My
Concubine, and with Jiang Wen in In the Heat of the Sun
and Devils on the Doorstep. He later tried director and
made Peacock and And the Spring Comes.
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The
Founding of a Star-Spotting Event
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 15, 2009 |
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Spot your
favorite star, can you? |
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Image: Beijing Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, CCTV Movie Channel,
China Film Group, Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Media Asia Films,
Universe Entertainment. |
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The Founding of a
Republic is a China-made movie chronicle the country’s history
from 1945 to 1949. It starts with the Japanese surrender, followed
by the futile peace talk between the ruling Nationalist Party and
the Communist Party, the outbreak of the civil war, the communist
victory, and then ends with the founding of the People’s Republic
China by the communist-led political group.
This part of Chinese history has been featured in countless movies
and TV series produced in China and judging from the subject, The
Founding of a Republic is no different of many other “Main
Melody” films, which are made to promote the government endorsed
ideas.
However, two directors of the film, Han Sanping, president of the
hyper-powerful state-owned China Film Group (CFG) and his school
buddy Huang Jianxin, decided to do the movie differently. With the
great influence from Han and CFG, they managed to cast 172 top movie
stars and directors to play leading roles, supporting roles and
no-pay cameo roles. Many international stars, like Jackie Chan, Jet
Li, Zhang Ziyi and Donnie Yen, only show up on the big screen for a
few seconds. Scenes of many stars, including that of director John
Woo, have been deleted.
A marketing campaign was launched earlier this year and the focus is
on which star playing which historical figure. What dooms to fail in
the box-office has become the most talked movie in China. Early
reviews have put positive words on the film. Compare to many other
“Main Melodies”, it said the communist leaders looks more humanized
and the Nationalist members are portrayed much closer to the real
history. High expectation on high density star performance and
strong patriotic atmosphere are also pushing up the hype toward the
high profile theatric released in China this Thursday.
To coincide with the
grand celebration of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic,
with the government’s secret order, release of foreign movies,
especially Hollywood movies, earlier this month, to make way for
domestic made movies. A large number of “Main Melodies” and other
movies were released in recent weeks – 4 in the last week of August,
2 in the first week of September, and 8 in the second week of
September. But, only 1 in the third week of September, and the one
is The Founding of a Republic, which has such strong
box-office potential that no other home made movies dear to
challenge it. 1450 copies of film reels are now ready to be shifted
to theaters in major cities throughout China. 19 commercial clips
are attached to the film, 7 for automobiles, 2 for alcohol drinks, 1
for non-alcohol drink and 5 movies trailers for mainland Chinese
director Gao Qunshu and Taiwan director Chen Kuo-fu's The Message
(Feng Sheng), mainland director He Ping's Wheat, Hong
Kong director Peter Chan's Bodyguards and Assassins,
Taiwan director Chu Yin-Ping's Ci Ling and mainland director
Ning Hao's Western Sunshine (Wu Ren Qu).
Even the release is still
days away, Han Sanping has already felt confident about a high
box-office return. He even announced an untitled prequel to the
film, which will be released in 2011, to coincide the 90th
anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. The prequel will also be
filled with an all-star cast and will tell the story of Communist
and the Nationalist during the WWII.
Believe it or not, this film is a cooperation among studios of
state-run and from the private sector in Beijing and Hong Kong. They
are CFG, Beijing-based private studio Poly-bona Film Publishing
Company, state-owned CCTV Movie Channel, and three Hong Kong studios
- Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Media Asia Films and Universe
Entertainment.
It looks like Han and
Huang has learned a lot from Zhang Yimou's Hero. Back in
2001, the film was produced by studios from the mainland China and
Hong Kong, with a relatively big budget and a cast filled with top
stars from the mainland and Hong Kong. The result is a box-office
miracle.
The audiences in general lack interest in "Main Melodies", which
usually do poorly at the box-office. Though many of them are made
with government funding, there is a growing pressure on letting such
films profitable. |
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Lu Chuan’s CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH Now Politically Inappropriate
in China
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 14, 2009 |
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Director
Lu Chuan in front of a poster of City of Life and Death. |
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Image: Xinhua News Agency. |
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Director Lu Chuan’s City of Life and Death was screened
in Toronto last Friday, followed by a mass number of positive
reviews. Meanwhile in China, the country produced the film, the
government has chosen to ignore its existence.
City of Life and Death is the latest film with its story
set during the infamous Nanjing (Nanking) Massacre, also know as
the Rape of Nanjing (Nanking). In July of 1937, the Japanese
launched a massive attack on China, in hoping the Chinese
government would surrender in a few months. The surrender never
came and in December, after suffering huge loss, Japanese troops
occupied Nanking, the capital city of China fell, with millions
of civilian residents, refugees and abandoned soldiers trapped
inside the city wall. Immediately after the city was taken,
killing, looting and raping started and did not end until spring
of 1938.
Unlike the internationally agreed conclusion on the Holocaust,
the Rape of Nanking is a controversial topic in today’s world.
People who are still remembering it are mainly Chinese and the
voice of denying it, either completely or partially, only comes
from Japan. Debate over The Rape of Nanking, along with many
wars Japan launched against China in the 19th and 20th
centuries, is one of the major obstacles, which form mistrust
between the Chinese and the Japanese.
In China, Nanjing is an old scar which is never able to heal. It
is considered as an infamy, which symbolizing the hatred against
the ones who carried out the killing as well as the regret that
a nation was too weak to defend its soil against a relatively
small country.
When young director Lu Chuan, after the success of his
Kekexili: The Mountain Patrol, decide to make a movie to
tell the story of the Rape of Nanking, the strongest objection
was, surprisingly from the Chinese government, which prefer to
ease the tension between China and Japan, caused by the debate
over Japan’s war crime in WWII.
Fortunately, after some lobbying effort, the government finally
greenlighted the project and allowed it to be released in China
April this year. It did very well at the box-office. However,
despite receiving mainly positive reviews, it also drew
criticism. To make his film somewhat different from all previous
Chinese-made films about the massacre, much of the story is told
from the eyes of a Japanese soldier, who showed disgust over the
war and felt sorrow for the horror. The approach is harshly
attacked by some critics in China.
October 1st of 2009 will mark the 60th anniversary of the
People’s Republic China, founded by the Chinese Communist Party,
after defeating the Nationalist Party in 1949. The government
has planned a series of massive celebrating events. The mass
media, which are basically still tightly controlled by the
state, are ordered to only show whatever fit the anniversary. In
this special period, the government prefers to tell people that
the CCP successfully defeated the foreign intruders,
triumphantly overthrew the unpopular Nationalist government and
greatly improved the living of the people since the founding of
the People’s Republic. City of Life and Death, telling a
very sad tragedy in a falling capital city of the old regime,
certainly does not seem to fit the government designed
propaganda profile. In addition, the Chinese government still
works hard to improve the relationship with Japan and the film
is obviously an inappropriate offbeat.
In recent months, City of Life and Death is let out off
the annual Huabiao Awards last month. Organized by the National
Administration of Radio, Film and TV (NARFT), the awards are
only given to movies officially endorsed by the government.
Ironically, director Lu Chuan appeared at the award ceremony as
a guest host. Last week, when the nomination list of the Golden
Rooster was announced, City of Life and Death was nowhere
to be found. The Golden Rooster is hosted by the state-run China
Film Association and usually reflects the view of the
conservative Chinese filmmakers. People who wish the film to get
a Best Foreign Language film nomination at the Oscar will also
be disappointed. Reportedly, City of Life and Death has
never been considered by the authority.
Lu Chuan is more open-minded toward the government's decision of
blocking his film. He said City of Life and Death being
allowed for released in China was the award he would desire. "I
have always firmly believed the viewpoint and the feeling shown
in City of Life and Death are correct. I have never doubt
it. But, there is something regrettable, the idea expressed in
the film is too early for our time," said Lu Chuan, "I hope
after 10 years, 20 years, the theme of City of Life and Death
will be appreciated by all Chinese audiences and even the world
audiences. A good film will last over time. I hope, and I also
believe City of Life and Death is one of such film."
Reviews:
At times semi-impressionistic, at others
gut-wrenchingly up close and personal, Nanjing massacre chronicle
"City of Life and Death" lives up to hype and expectations,
Derek Elley, Variety
The team achieves equally lyrical
(comparing to Lu Chuan's previous work Kekexili: The Mountain
Patrol), if much more harrowing, results with a far more forbidding
backdrop, Howard Feinstein, Screen Daily
This remarkable and controversial movie
leaves the viewer shocked and overwhelmed by its content,
Bob Bishop, SocialistParty.com (UK)
Despite the weak finale - This Chinese
film tackles the Rape of Nanking and like the fine Katyn of last
year, it's basically a catalog of horros, presented soberly and
well, Michael Giltz, Huffington Post
A film likely no one will forget,
Guy Dixon, The Globe and Mail (Canada)
A masterpiece of anti-propaganda
dramatizing war crimes, Karina Longworth, SpoutBlog
A film no one will forget,
Sasha Stone, Awards Daily |
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Opening This Week: September
5 - 11,
2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 11, 2009 |
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Dada's Dance |
Cow |
Taishan Kung Fu |
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Legend of Tang Empire |
Owe Me RMB 105,000 |
Zhan Zheng Zhong De Nü Ren - Yi Meng Liu Jie Mei |
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Da
He |
Ke Ai De Zhong Guo |
Somewhere I Have Never Travelled |
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Images: Century Good-Tidings Cultural Development Company, Zhang Yuan
Cultural Studio, Tiger King Film Co., Ltd., Changchun Film Studio, China
Film Group Corp., Taian City Radio Station, Phoenix Century Media Co.,
Ltd., Daming Palace National Heritage Site Park, Qujiang Film & TV
Investment Group Co., Ltd., Shengshi Huarui Film Investment & Management
Co., Ltd., Shanxi Film Studio, Shandong Film Studio, The Propaganda
Department of the Linyi City Branch of the CCP, Jindian Films, Huaxia
Film Distribution Co., Ltd., Tianshan Film Studio., Shanghai Film Group
Corp., Wu Nien-jen Company (?), Blue Moon Films (?). |
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At the even of the 60th
anniversary of the funding of the People's Republic China and the
scheduled 8-day national vacation, the government has suspended
releasing any foreign movie and arranged a large number of films
made with propaganda purpose. Many studios also take the advance of
the Hollywood-free period to release their non-propaganda films. The
result is eight domestic made films being released this week.
A guy is secretly
watching his neighbor Dada's Dance and runs away with the
wild girl.
A villager is unwillingly
assigned to take care of the precious Dutch milk Cow at the
eve of the Japanese attack.
An arrogant master is
challenged by an unknown kid with the real Taishan Kung Fu.
A villager travelling to
the big city to claim the compensation for his wounded brother. He
says, "They Owe Me RMB 105,000".
In Zhan Zheng Zhong De
Nü Ren - Yi Meng Liu Jie Mei, six women show their support of
the communist-led Liberation Army in the civil war against the
Nationalist troops.
In Da He, a
Chinese engineer falls in love with a Russian girl sent to China to
help completing an irrigation project.
Ke Ai De Zhong Guo
is a bio-pic of Fang Zhimi, a senior Chinese Red Army leader
executed by the Nationalist government in 1934.
In Hong Kong, new
releases are all imported, including mainland Chinese made
fast-pacing comedy Silver Medalist.
Taiwan-made Somewhere
I Have Never Travelled is released domestically. This low-budge
film tells a color-blinded girl falls in love with her older cousin,
who has a dream of traveling to a place far far away.
Two film from the
mainland China and Hong Kong also open in the island, crime drama
Lady Cop & Papa Crook and comedy Sophie's Revenge.
Other new releases:
China:
none
Hong Kong:
Silver Medalist
(China)
Away We Go
(USA / UK)
Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis
/
Welcome to the Sticks
(France)
Brüno
(USA)
Gamer
(USA)
Gloomy Sunday - Ein Lied
von Liebe und Tod
(Germany / Hungary)
La Monja
(Spain / UK)
The Proposal
(USA)
Taiwan:
Lady Cop & Papa Crook
(Hong Kong / China)
Sophie's Revenge
(China / Korea)
April Bride
(Japan)
The Brothers Bloom
(USA)
Che: Part One
(Spain / France / USA)
Che: Part Two
(Spain / France / USA)
The Final Destination
(USA)
Franklyn
(France / UK)
Ichi
(Japan)
Puccini e la Fanciulla
/
Puccini and the Girl
(Italy)
Click here for more |
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John Woo Will
Dispatch the FLYING TIGERS
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 10, 2009 |
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John Woo
appears in a scene deleted from The Founding of a Republic, which
will be released next week in China. |
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Image: Beijing Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, CCTV Movie Channel,
China Film Group, Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Media Asia Films,
Universe Entertainment.. |
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John Woo has said in more than one occasions
that his next project will tell the story of the “Flying
Tigers”, aka the American Volunteer Group (AVG) of
the Chinese Air Force, which was fighting against the invading
Japanese from December 1941 to July 1942.
Reportedly the budget of the film, titled Heroes
of the Flying Tigers (Chinese literal title) is unbelievably set at
US$160 million, twice as the budget of his last project “Red Cliff”.
Woo said the script was ready and he would begin casting and
location scouting. The cast will consists with both Chinese and
American actors and the production will be done in China. While
chatting with Chinese reporters, he said one of many locations would
be Chongqing, which served as the wartime capital during WWII. As
for the cast, Woo mentioned the name of Chinese actor
Sun Honglei (Amazing Tales:
Three Guns, Forever Enthralled, Mongol,
Seven Swords). |
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Toronto +
Venice: WHEAT
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 9, 2009 |
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A
deserted soldier (Huang Jue) enjoys some happy life based on a lie. |
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Image: Classic Culture, Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, Xi'an Film
Studio. |
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Wheat (English title) / Mai Tian (Mandarin
Chinese) / Wheat Field (literal)
(China)
Two soldiers, Xia and Zhe, from the state of Qin leave the
battle field and run for home. Chased by deserter-hunters, they
fall into a river and fortunately saved by a group of women.
They are taken to a small town called Luyi in the enemy state of
Zhao. With all men away at way, the town is only occupied by
women, led by Li, the beautiful new bride of the town lord
Jucong, with assistance from a lady witch. The women do not know
that their state has lost the war and their men may never
return. Out of self-protection, the deserters claim they are
Zhao soldiers, who are returning home after winning the battle.
The lie brings them respect and comfort from women who miss
their men for to long. Until one day, a group of bandits break
into the town, telling everyone the crashing truth.
The cast includes Huang Jue as Xia, the more veteran soldier
turns deserter, Fan Bingbing as Li, the young bride of the town
lord, Du Jiayi as Xia, the less experienced deserter, Wang Xueqi
as town lord Yucong, Wang Zhiwan as Chong, the bandit leader,
and Wang Ji as the lady witch.
The film is produced by Beijing-based Classic Culture and
Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, as well as Xi'an Film Studio.
This is director He Ping’s fifth feature films. His debut is
The Swordsman in Double Flag Town (1991), about a young
sword master traveling to a small town to claim his bride and
runs into local bandits. Looks very much like a western, this
film actually inspired many Hong Kong directors to shoot their
movies, like New Dragon Inn, Ashes of Time and the
Chinese Odyssey series, in desert locations or northern
China. His second and third works are Red Firecracker, Green
Firecrackers (1994), telling a forbidden love story of a
widow inebriated her husband’s firecracker factor and a young
painter, and Sun Valley (1995), about the story between a
widow who runs a isolated inn and a guest with a killing
intension. His fourth one, Warriors of the Heaven and Peace
(2003), with a budget much bigger than any of his previous ones,
follows a caravan’s dangerous trip through the desert.
World premiere: Toronto International Film Festival: Sept. 14,
2009, category: Vanguard
Official site
International trailer
Posters and stills
Stills
Posters
Page by Toronto International Film
Festival
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Toronto +
Venice: SHE, A CHINESE
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 8, 2009 |
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Chinese
girl Li Mei (Huang Lu) takes refuge in London and gets married to
Mr. Hunt, a man much older than her age. |
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Image: UK Film Council, Film4, Screen Yorkshire, EM Media, intervista
digital media, Rosem Films, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein,
Fonds Sud Cinéma, Tigerlily Films, Warp X. |
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She, A Chinese
(English) /
Ta, Yi Ge Zhong Guo Nü Hai
(Mandarin Chinese) / She, A Chinese Girl (literal)
(UK / France / Germany)
A restless village young girl comes to Chongqing City to look
for a more interesting life. Only able to hold her factory job
for a short time, she ends up working at a hair salon and falls
in love with a dangerous hitman, who seems always shadowed by
his past. One day, the sudden death of her lover forces her to
run.
Flees to London, she is married to a man much older than her
age. Cultural barrier makes her very lonely and soon she
develops an affair with an Indian immigrant and later moves to
her new lover’s restaurant. Then unexpectedly, her new man
decide to go home, leaving her alone in the foreign land.
The cast includes Huang
Lu as the girl Li Mei, Wei Yi Bo as her Chinese boyfriend Spikey,
Geoffrey Hutchings as her London husband Mr. Hunt, and Chris Ryman
as her Indian boyfriend Rachid.
Director
Guo Xiaolu's another film, documentary
Once Upon a Time Proletarian,
shot almost simultaneously with
She, A Chinese, also
premičred at Toronto International Film Festival and Venice
International Film Festival.
Despite the country of origin is stated as China, the film is
produced by London-based Chapter Two Films.
She, a Chinese just won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno
International Film Festival of Switzerland.
North American premiere: Toronto International Film Festival:
Sept. 11, 2009, category: Vanguard
Page by Toronto International Film
Festival
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Toronto +
Venice: THE SEARCH
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 8, 2009 |
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A girl
(actress unidentified) agrees to be the female leading in a film
based on a traditional Tibetan opera play and recommends her
ex-boyfriend as the leading man. |
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Image: Himalaya Audio & Visual Culture Communication. |
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The Search
(English title) /
Soul Searching
(alternative English title) /
Xun Zhao Zhi Mei Geng Deng
(Mandarin Chinese) / The Search for Drimé Kunden (literal)
(China)
A film director and his cinematographer, guided by a business
man, are traveling in Tibetan region to search for a man and a
woman to lead a movie called Drimé Kunden, adapted from one of
eight most famous plays of traditional Tibetan opera.
The film is enriched by several loves stories, the story of
Prince Drimé Kunden, who is willing to sacrifice everything for
the wellbeing of the people, and his wife Princess Mande Zangmo,
the story between a girl who agrees to play the princess and her
ex-boyfriend who is recommended by the girl for playing the
prince, and the story told by the business man.
Produced with a full Tibetan cast and crew, this
Tibetan-language film was made over a three year span. This is
Tibetan director Pema Tseden’s second full-length drama. His
first one, The Silent Holy Stone, released in 2005, was made as
part of his graduation project while studying in Beijing Film
Academy.
The non-professional cast includes Manla Kyab, Lumo Tso and
Tsondrey. The project was supervised by Chinese director Tian
Zhuangzhuang and French film activist Pierre Rissient. The film
is produced by Beijing registered Himalaya Audio & Visual
Culture Communication.
North American premiere: Toronto International Film Festival:
Sept. 17, 2009, category: Contemporary World Cinema
Stills
Review
Page by Toronto International Film
Festival
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Toronto +
Venice: COW
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 5, 2009 |
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Villager
Niu Er (Huang Bo) is unwilling assigned to protect a dairy cow from
the Japanese troops. |
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Image: Tiger King Film Co., Ltd., Changchun Film Studio. |
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Cow
(English) /
Dou Niu
(Mandarin) / Cow Fight (?) (literal)
(China)
In the winter of 1940, Japanese soldiers are marching toward a
small village. The Chinese troops are hurrying to evacuate and
villager Niu Er is asked to take care of a precious Dutch diary
cow, which supplies milk for wounded soldiers. He takes the job
only after a village master offers a marriage with the master's
daughter, Jiu Er. To protect the cow and sometimes the
life of his own, Niu Er has to outsmart the Japanese, starving
refugees, bandits and a greedy quack doctor.
The film is directed by Guan Hu, film and TV director, whose
previous movie projects are
Eyes of a Beauty
(2002),
Farewell, Our 1948
(literal / 1999),
Violoncello of the Street
(1996) and
Tou Fa Luan Le
(1994).
The cast include Huang Bo as Niu Er the unwilling temporary
guardian of the cow and Yan Ni as Jiu Er, daughter of the
village master.
The film is produced by Beijing company Tiger King Film Co.,
Ltd., in association with Changchun Film Studio, the oldest
state-run film studios, now performing badly in the industry.
World premiere:
Venice International Film Festival: Sept. 10, 2009, category:
Orizzonti
Stills
Posters
Poster
Teaser trailer
Full trailer
Page by Venice International Film Festival
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Toronto +
Venice: 1428
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 5, 2009 |
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A small town sealed off after the earthquake. |
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Image: CNEX Foundation Limited. |
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1428
(China)
The documentary contains untold stories filmed 10 days after and
210 days after the Great Sichuan Earthquake, which stroke China
at 14:28 on May 12, 2008.
Graduated from Beijing Film Academy, director Du Haibin is an
independent documentary maker, whose works often focus on the
social phenomena in the contemporary China.
The documentary project is pushed by Beijing-based CNEX
Foundation Limited.
World premiere:
Venice International Film Festival: Sept. 11, 2009, category:
Orizzonti
Stills
Page by Venice International Film Festival
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Toronto +
Venice: CHENGDU, I LOVE YOU
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 5, 2009 |
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Top: In the "past" story, a
master
teahouse waiter (Guo Gao) falls in love with his protégé (Anya),
Bottom: In the "future" story, a young dancer (Sitar Tan) finally
meets the man she has been looking for (Huang Xuan). |
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Image: Zonbo Media. |
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Chengdu, I Love You
(English) /
Cheng DU, Wo Ai Ni
(Mandarin) / Chengdu, I Love You (literal)
(China)
1976, the destructive Cultural Revolution is running out of
steam. A
master
young teahouse waiter falls in love with his young protégé. He
quietly passes on the traditional tea servicing art skill as
well as his love to her.
2029, a young dancer is looking for the boy who saved her during
the earthquake in 2008 and the man who injured her cousin. She
has never expected that they are the same man.
The complete version of
Chengdu, I Love You
is made up with three independent love stories. The “past”
story, set in 1976, is handled by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan,
the present story, about a museum guide’s unexpected reunion
with a college classmate of hers, is directed by Hur Jin-ho from
Korea, and the “future” story, set in 2029, is the work of
singer and music producer Cui Jian.
Fruit Chan is known for making small-budget films in Hong Kong.
Some of his previous works include Made in Hong Kong
(1997), The Longest Summer (1998), Durian Durian
(2000), Hollywood Hong-Kong (2001), Public Toilet
(2002) and Three... Extremes (2004). He also worked as
the executive producer of Prince of Tears, which was
premiered last week in Venice.
Singer and song writer Cui Jian is considered as the pioneer and
godfather of Rock 'n' Roll in China. The "future" story of
Chengdu, I Love You
is his directorial debut.
The film was later
chopped in half. The present story, became independent and
re-titled as
Season of
Good Rain,
will be released next month in China, South Korea and Japan. The
remaining two stories are still under the title of
Chengdu, I Love You.
In the “past” Guo Tao plays the master waiter and the Anya plays
his protégé. In the “future” story, Sitar Tan plays the young
dancer and Huang Xuan plays the man she is looking for.
The film is produced by Beijing-registered studio
Zonbo Media.
World premiere:
Venice International Film Festival: Sept. 12, 2009, category:
Out of Competition
Stills
Posters
Trailer
Page by Venice International Film Festival
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Opening This
Week: August
29 - September 4, 2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 4, 2009 |
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Tian An Men |
Glittering Days |
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The Unbelievable |
Trick or Cheat |
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Images: China Film Group Corp., China Movie Channel of SARFT,
Forbidden City Film Co., Sundream Motion Pictures, Universe
Entertainment. |
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A small stage
construction team only has 28 days to renovate the poorly maintained
Tian An Men,
the Gate of Heavenly Peace, which has been picked as the center
stage for the ceremony for founding the new government.
In
Glittering Days,
residences of a Beijing community called Goldfish Pond are dreaming
a developer or the government would demolish their slum-like houses
and offer them newer and bigger homes.
Production team of real Hong Kong TV show
The Unbelievable
travels to southeast Asia to document spooky phenomena...
A gang of low-graders are warned by the principal that either get A
at the final exam or cancel their graduation musical show. Meanwhile
two high-graders assigned to help them getting A believe cheating is
the only solution.
Trick or Cheat.
Other new releases:
China:
Penelope
(USA)
Hong Kong:
Sophie's Revenge
(China / South Korea)
More than Blue
(South Korea)
My Life in Ruins
(USA / Spain)
My Sister's Keeper (USA)
Religulous
(USA)
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
(USA / UK)
Taiwan:
On His Majesty's Secret Service
(Hong Kong / China / Taiwan)
Overheard
(Hong Kong / China)
Annie Leibovitz: Life through a Lens
(USA)
Bandslam
(USA)
The Code
(Japan)
First Snow / Virgin Snow
(Japan / South Korea)
The Proposal
(USA)
La Teta Asustada / The Milk of Sorrow
(Spain / Peru)
Turtle: The Incredible Journey
(UK / Austria)
Click here for more |
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Opening This
Week: August
22
-
28, 2009 -
More
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 4, 2009 |
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Eternal Beloved |
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Image: Xingmei (Beijing) Film Co.. |
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A Jiu and A Ming, two
lovers from two enemy families make a pledge to continue their
forbidden love in their next life. A Jiu quickly gets reborn but her
lover misses his own chance and becomes a homeless ghost. 50 years
later, right before A Ming’s next change for rebirth, A Jiu finally
shows up. She has become a happily married housewife and has no
memory of her previous life…
Click here for more |
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Toronto +
Venice: PRINCE OF TEARS
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 3, 2009 |
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Fighter pilot Sun Hansheng (Chang Hsiao-chuan) enjoys a simple life
with wife Jin Wanping (Oceane Zhu) and their two daughters, until
one autumn the military police ransacks their home and takes the
parents away. |
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Image: Peony5 Film Co., Ltd., Filmagic Pictures Company, Far
Sun Film Co., Ltd. |
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Prince of Tears
(English) /
Lei Wang Zi
(Mandarin) / Dialysis or Analysis (literal)
(Taiwan / Hong Kong)
Taiwan, 1954, a fighter pilot and his wife are arrested as
communist spies. A friend of the pilot, a scar-faced quiet man,
begins taking care of their two infant daughters. Soon after,
the secret behind the sudden arrest is unveiled layer by layer.
The story is set in the notorious anti-communist campaign in
Taiwan known as the White Terror, carried out by the ruling
Nationalist Party (Kuomintang), which is determined to retake
the mainland China lost to the communist in 1949.
Prince of Tears
is the title of a children's book appears in the film.
Director Yonfan said the prince was a man of a pure heart, who
was unable to bear the unjust, was determined to fight for the
wellbeing of the people, and was willing to sacrifice himself,
just for a better world.
The cast include Chang Hsiao-chuan as the fighter pilot, Oceane
Zhu as his wife, Fan Jik-Wai as the scar-faced man, Terri Kwan
as a neighboring housewife, Kenneth Tsang as General Liu, the
housewife's husband, Jack Kao, Lin Yo-wei, Chiao Chiao and Li
Lieh.
Three studios are involved in the production, Peony5 Film Co.,
Ltd. and Filmagic Pictures Company, both are from Taiwan,
and Far Sun Film Co., Ltd. from Hong Kong.
Director Yonfan was born in 1947 in Chinese city of Wuhan and
grew up in Taiwan and Hong Kong. His passion ranges across film,
photography, music and dance. His previous works include
Color Blossoms
(2004),
Peony Pavilion
(2001),
Bishonen
(1998),
Immortal Story
(1986) ,
The Story of Rose
(1985) and his directorial debut
A Certain Romance
(1984).
World premiere:
Venice International Film Festival: Sept. 4, 2009, category:
Venezia 66
North American
premiere: Toronto International Film Festival: Sept. 16, 2009,
category: Contemporary World Cinema
Official site
Trailers
Posters
Stills
Page by Toronto International Film Festival
Page by Venice International Film Festival |
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Toronto +
Venice: JUDGE
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 2, 2009 |
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Should a death row convict live? A Judge Tian (Right, Ni Dahong) has
to make a hard decision. |
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Image: 3C Film Co., Ltd. |
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Judge
(English) /
Tou Xi
(Mandarin) / Dialysis or Analysis (literal)
(China)
A man is on death row for stealing two cars, the sentence
appropriate according to the law. Coincidentally, the lead judge
on the case just lost his daughter in a traffic accident caused
by a stolen car. An unexpected change in the law creates an
opportunity for the car thief to avoid execution. Meanwhile the
convicted man is trying to donate one of his kidneys to a dying
rich businessman in order to reduce his sentence. While lobbying
the authority, the businessman discovers the he can only get the
convict’s kidney after his execution. Now the judge is facing
hard decision.
Judge
is the latest fictional film stepping into the sensitive subject
of Chinese legal system, which is in constant improvement while
still frequently questioned by the public. Set the in 1997, the
story looks like an anatomy of a historical event, rather than a
present day case. Portraying the judge a hard-working and decent
man also helped the film to get official approval from the
Chinese censors.
The judge is played
by Ni Dahong (the imperial physician in Zhang Yimou's
Curse of the Golden Flowers).
The cast also includes Mei Ting, Dao Qi and Zhang Zheng.
The film is produced
by Beijing-based 3C Film Co., Ltd.
This is the second film by young director Liu Jie. His
directorial debut,
Courthouse on Horseback
is also featuring Chinese legal system. The hero is another
dedicated and hard-working judge, who travels in mountains
inhabited by minority villagers to settle small civil cases. The
film was highly praised by the Chinese Supreme Court and the
Central Political and Legal Committee of the CCP. It also won
the Horizons Award at Venice Film Festival in 2006. Before
turned to a director, Liu worked as the cinematographer of
The Days
(1993) and
Beijing Bicycle
(1999), both were directed by Wang Xiaoshuai.
World premiere: Venice International Film Festival: Sept. 9,
2009, category: Orizzonti
Page by Venice International Film Festival
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Toronto +
Venice: ONCE UPON A TIME PROLETARIAN
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 2, 2009 |
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A bus terminal, where many Chinese migrating villagers start their
quest for better life in big cities. |
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Image: Chapter Two Films. |
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Once Upon a Time
Proletarian
(English) /
Wo Men Ceng Jing De Wu Chan Zhe
(Mandarin) / The Proletarians once among Us (literal)
(China)
This is a documentary telling twelve independent stories in
today’s China, two decades after the ruling communist party
launched the capitalist oriented economic reform. Varieties of
people have their own ups and downs while the reform is
intensified. A farmer lost his land, the prime source of his
income, a weapon factory worker wished Mao was still leading the
country, a teenager migrated to a city to work as a car washer,
a successful hotel owner hailed the new economic polities, and
art school kids dreamed of becoming famous artists in the west.
Woman director Guo Xiaolu said, “I made this film as an exhibit
of an unusual era of our nation, a dramatic era following the
communist revolution in the 1940s and the economic reform in the
1980s. My shots are anti-climate, and each face I recorded is
either ugly, hear-warming, sad, or even simple-minded.”
“Between chapters, you would see children reading fair tale
books. Though you can only see their faces, I want them to tell
me something about their future, not just the future of China,
but the future of the world. The future is both beautiful and
cruel, and most of the time, it is dull.”
“With this film, I intend to let people to sense the birth of an
unimaginable future. It’s born from ridiculousness and people’s
hope for a new order is born.”
Despite the country of origin is stated as China, the film is
produced by London-based Chapter Two Films.
Guo Xiaolu was born in China’s Zhejiang Province, who studied in
Beijing Film Academy and later the National Film and Television
School in the United Kingdom. Now a residence of London, Guo is
also a film scholar and novelist. Movies she has directed also
include
Far and Near
(2003),
The Concrete Revolution
(2004),
How Is Your Fish Today?
(2006),
Address Unknown
(2007),
We Went to Wonderland
(2008),
An Archeologist’s Sunday
(2008),
Uneternal City
(2008) and
She, a Chinese
(2009). Last month,
She, a Chinese,
a drama won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film
Festival of Switzerland.
World premiere: Venice International Film Festival: Sept. 5,
2009, category: Orizzonti
North American premiere: Toronto International Film Festival:
Sept. 16, 2009, category: Real to Reel
Page by Toronto International Film Festival
Page by Venice International Film Festival |
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Toronto +
Venice: ACCIDENT
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 1, 2009 |
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Elite assassin Brain (Luis Koo) is stalking
someone whom he believes a threat to his life (Richie Ren). |
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Image: Milky Way Image Company, Media Asia Films. |
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Accident
(English) /
Yi Ngoi
(Cantonese) /
Yi Wai
(Mandarin) / Accident (literal)
(Hong Kong)
A professional
assassination team is good at making each kill looks like an
unfortunate accident, with sophisticated planning. Stress at work
makes their leader, nicknamed Brain, increasingly paranoid. When
executing another paid job, one of them is killed by a looks
perfectly normal traffic accident. Brain believes it is not an
accident and the real target is him. He suspects an insurance agent
spotted at the scene is the mastermind behind the accident and
should be eliminated.
Accident
is helmed by Hong Kong director Cheang Pou-Soi, whose previous works
include bone-crashing actioner Shamo and Dog Bite Dog,
as well as several crime thrillers and horror flicks. He also served
as the second unit director / assistant director / supporting actors
of several Johnnie To’s movies.
The script was written
by Szeto Kam-Yuen (Tactical Unit: No Way Out, Flash Point,
Exiled, S.P.L., Too Many Ways to Be No. 1) and
Tang Lik-Kei (Tactical Unit: No Way Out, Flash Point).
The cast include Louis Koo (as Brain), Richie Ren as the insurance
agent, Lam Suet and Michelle Ye as two members of the killing team,
as well as Fung Shui-Fan.
Johnnie To produced
the film with his Milky Way Image Company, in association with Media
Asia Films.
World premiere: Venice
International Film Festival: Sept. 5, 2009, category: Venezia 66
North American
premiere: Toronto International Film Festival: Sept. 13, 2009,
category: Vanguard
Stills
Trailer
Opening sequence
Page by Toronto International Film Festival
Page by Venice International Film Festival |
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