The most touching film of this Shanghai International Film Festival, fans said so -
"Wandering Child"
Mao Jian is a professor at East China Normal University
In 1993, the first Shanghai International Film Festival was held, and I was the audience. Since about 2001, the festival has reached a cooperation with our Institute of Chinese as a Second Language. As the lead teacher, I "checked the gates" when the students participated in the translation of the subtitles.
The protagonist of this year's "Tribute to the Master" section is the famous Italian director Federico Fellini. His "Wandering Child", I have seen it before, but I am still excited to re-watch it on the big screen, especially during the epidemic period, it is not easy to grab tickets in thousands of troops. This film is not Fellini's pinnacle, but it is still a very important work.
The story of "Wandering Child" takes place in Fellini's hometown, a small seaside town. The protagonists are 5 young people nearly 30 years old, who are idle all day long, keen on dream-like pranks and addicted to unrealistic lives. Mixed and mixed, they gradually realized what is important in life. It is a typical prose film, in which Fellini's favorite expression of fatherhood and brotherhood, especially Italy. The movie does not have a main plot, but 70 years later, looking back at the in this black-and-white film, everyone has a bit of intellectual temperament. The film's "Leopard Tail" is particularly memorable——— the Morad, who is both bohemian and particularly warm and innocent, boards the train leaving the town in the early morning and embarks on his journey. In a car montage of brothers imagining, the film ends.
It is said that the French New Wave is "new", but after watching this movie, you will feel that "Exhausted" (a 1960 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard) also has a "former feeling". In Fellini, we see both neorealism and new wave temperament, but so different from both new wave and new realism. This difference drew a lot of criticism for Fellini in those years, but it is the reason why it is becoming more and more moving today.
Five Golden Flowers
Xu Lena, Director of the Brand Strategy Department and The Department of Art Education of Shanghai Opera House
I first became acquainted with the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2007. That year, I graduated from college, signed my employment contract, and watched "The Veil" screened during the film festival with my girlfriend in the same dormitory. After work, meeting the theater from time to time has also become an important activity for us to date.
My love of movies dates back to my childhood. When I was a child, I lived with my grandfather, who was a "movie fan" and took me to watch a lot of literary films. Among them, "Five Golden Flowers" directed by Wang Jiayi is my favorite one. For me, who was a child at the time, the national costumes in the movie were particularly beautiful, and scenes such as the "March 3rd" market, iron smelting, milking, and singing were also very fresh. The classic screen image created by Yang Likun and other actors of the older generation, as well as Yunnan folk songs such as "Butterfly Spring" originally sung by teacher Zhao Luzhu, are fascinating.
As soon as the film list of this year's film festival was announced, I noticed that "Five Golden Flowers" was listed in the "Happiness and Well-off" theme film festival. Looking back at this classic old film again, I am full of emotions. I did not expect that during my master's degree, I would study traditional Chinese music theory, and like the "fat man" and "thin man" in "Five Golden Flowers", I would go to the mountains and ethnic minority villages to collect style.
Only after experiencing it can we understand and appreciate that the artists in the film record with paper and pencil are actually far more than a tone, an image, a story, and a folk artist. Also recorded are those who created and inherited folk culture, and their simplicity, arbitrariness, hard work, optimism, and yearning and struggle for an ideal life. This is also the reason why the film has resonated and empathized with generations of audiences over the years.
"Somewhere, Somebody"
Cao Fei medical worker
My fate with the Shanghai International Film Festival began 3 years ago. At that time, I was immediately attracted after seeing the promotion of the film festival on the WeChat public account. I'm excited to see so many excellent films screening in Shanghai!
What struck me the most this year was the French film Somewhere, Someone. The protagonists, Remy and Melanie, are two Parisians, both 30 years old. They live in the same building, go shopping at the same supermarket, and both feel lonely. More coincidentally, both began psychotherapy because of insomnia. Despite having very similar life trajectories, they passed each other again and again. After a period of psychotherapy, both were healed and grew. At the end of the film, they become "better selves", and they meet again by chance and necessity...
This overall gray-blue literary film tells an ordinary story that resonates deeply with me. I also work in psychological counseling and enjoy psychologically related movies. The film presents the therapist's listening, companionship, support, encouragement, and even positive "confrontation" to the client, showing the professionalism of psychotherapy. In this way, the audience truly feels the growth of the protagonist after going through this process, and feels the feeling of being accepted and understood in the treatment.
"Although my heart is arrogant and gentle, and my character is weak, I am invincible." May all people have the courage and strength to pursue their ideal life!
"On the Street"
Li Zuqi is a high school student
I am 18 years old and have been participating in the Shanghai International Film Festival for 4 consecutive years. I remember the first time I watched a movie at a film festival, my dad took me to see Kore-eda's "Deeper Than the Sea" directed by Kore-eda. Both father and son love to watch movies. In the past few years, when we encounter movies that are of mutual interest, we will watch them together and talk about our views after the end. Sometimes, we both buy our own tickets.
One of my favorite works this time is the Japanese movie "On the Street". While watching the trailer, I discovered that the story took place in Shimokitazawa, where I had been while traveling. Shimokitazawa is a fashion district popular with young people in Tokyo, with many fashion shops, second-hand shops, and daily necessities stores. After seeing the main film, as I expected, this is a film set in Kitazawa that focuses on the concept of love and life of contemporary Japanese urban youth. The film does not have a twisty and bizarre plot, nor a grand scene, but every scene, every dialogue, and those small humors and small embarrassments full of ingenuity can deeply grasp the audience's heart. The final happy ending of the film also ended the viewing experience.
In fact, this is the first time I have stepped into a movie theater this year. After a long wait, it is a very ritual thing to sit back in the theater and enjoy this relaxed little narrative film with other fans, and burst into laughter at the laughter points set by the film. This is also the charm of the film festival.
Helena: A Life on canvas
Li Jianguo retired elderly
I am 74 years old and a native of Shanghai. Because I like to watch movies, I have been paying attention since the first Shanghai International Film Festival.
In the era when online ticket purchase was not yet widespread, I would read the introduction of each movie in the newspaper beforehand, choose the movie I wanted to see, and then buy tickets at the Great Bright Cinema. After the popularization of online ticket purchase, I paid attention to the public account of the Shanghai International Film Festival early on, optimistic about the time and film introduction in advance, used the software to grab tickets, and researched a set of ticket-snatching strategies with a high success rate. Usually, I choose at least 3 films from different countries at each film festival. By watching these movies, I can appreciate the customs and customs of various countries. This year, due to the impact of the epidemic, the difficulty of grabbing tickets has increased, and I have only grabbed two, which is a pity.
This time I watched a Finnish film, Helena: A Life on canvas. The film tells the story of Helena, a painter who lives in the countryside and is about to be forgotten. As an artist, Helena's love and persistence in painting are touching, and at the same time, she also has more sensitive and delicate emotions than ordinary people. But in the end, Helena and the important people in her life missed out and left regrets. The film's depiction of this emotion seems to be a secret reminder to the viewer to cherish the people around them.
"Love on Earth"
Manager of Alexander Foreign Trade Company
Originally from northern Italy, I have been living and working in Shanghai for many years and have been following the Shanghai International Film Festival since very early on. In previous years, I would pick a few movies with my girlfriend that were of interest to both parties, and use my free time on weekends to go on a date at the cinema. Especially when watching Italian soundtrack movies, I can hear the familiar folk sounds.
Unfortunately, this year, my girlfriend and I missed the ticket rush because of our busy work, and we didn't buy tickets at the beginning. Later, when my friend had a temporary affair, he gave me a movie ticket he had.
This movie called "Love on Earth" surprised me. The male protagonist is the famous powerful actor Liam Neeson, who has starred in "Schindler's List", "True Love First", "Batman: The Mystery of the Shadow" and other films. In this film, he plays Tom as a responsible husband. After his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, he firmly accompanied her with an optimistic and positive attitude and spent this difficult period together. This is an ordinary middle-aged couple, but their attitude towards life and love is admirable.
I noticed that there were a lot of young people who came to see the film. I believe that after reading it, you should have the same feeling as me. Also, the scenery in the movie is beautiful and real. Whether it is a scene by the sea or in the garden at home, it makes people feel immersed in the scene.
(Intern Li Yangting also contributed)
Column Editor-in-Chief: Gong Danyun Text Editor: Wu Yue Title Image Source: "Five Golden Flowers" Poster Source: Douban Movie
Source: Author: Wu Yue