Time Editorial Department | Eight is not half a year
Like in a movie, use darkness to meet light.
On September 25, the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival announced the shortlisted films, and among the main competition units that have attracted much attention, there are as many as 5 Chinese films among the 15 shortlisted films: "Little Me", "Qiao Yan's Heart", "Daughter's Daughter", "My Friend Andre", "Dad", two more than last year.
The main visual poster of the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival
Yi Yangqianxi, Zhao Liying, Liu Haoran, Liu Qingyun, etc. respectively starred in five films, and directors from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, China, such as Yang Lina, Weng Ziguang, and Zhao Deyin, will compete for the Best Film Tokyo Sakura Award (Golden Kirin Award) with their respective works.
Looking back at the achievements of last year's Tokyo Film Festival, three Chinese films, "Snow Leopard", "Old Gun" and "Grass and Trees", were shortlisted for the main competition, and in the end, the late director Wanma Tsedan's posthumous work "Snow Leopard" won the best film, Gao Peng's "Old Gun" won the Best Artistic Contribution Award, and Gu Xiaogang won the Kurosawa Akira Award. There is also a special achievement award, which was awarded to Zhang Yimou, who has won the best actor in Tokyo.
With the number of seeded contestants this year higher than last year, it is exciting to see if it can win the Best Film for a second time, and the Chinese-language films that account for 1/3 of the shortlisted films in the main competition will win several awards at that time.
In addition to the main competition unit, there are five Chinese films shortlisted for the Asian Future Competition unit, and there are also many Chinese-speaking forces in other units, such as "Sunshine Club" starring Huang Xiaoming, "Nu River", which just premiered at the Pingyao Film Festival, were shortlisted for the World Focus unit, and "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" and "Dog Formation" were shortlisted for the Gala Selection unit.
In addition, the chairman of the jury of the main competition unit of this Tokyo Film Festival is Tony Leung, and director Johnny To is also one of the judges.
Some industry insiders said that this may become the most concerned Tokyo film festival in history. With such a strong Chinese-speaking lineup and extremely high odds of winning, how could you miss it?
This year's Tokyo International Film Festival will be held in Tokyo from October 28 to November 6 for 10 days.
——Inventory of the five shortlisted films——
"Little Me"
The film is directed by Yang Lina, written by You Xiaoying, starring Yi Yang Qianxi, Lin Xiaojie, Jiang Qinqin, Zhou Yutong, and produced by Yin Lu. After a metamorphosis in the middle of summer, he finally embarks on a new journey.
With the film being shortlisted for the main competition unit, the filmmaker also recently released an international version of the poster designed by Huang Hai.
In the poster, Liu Chunhe, played by Yi Yang Qianxi, took resolute steps, climbed the ladder to stand in the light, and ran towards the future, giving people a strong sense of hope and warmth. In the poster, Liu Chunhe's back image is also presented for the first time.
At the same time, the English title "Big World" "Big World" was exposed, forming a wonderful intertextuality with the Chinese title "Little Me".
Yi Yang Qianxi, who plays a cerebral palsy patient, challenges himself again this time.
In an interview at the beginning of the year, Qianxi talked about the movie "Little Me" and said that if there was a moment that made him "Who am I?" Where am I? Self-doubt, that is when I first joined the group "Little Me". He bluntly admitted that it was "not easy" during the performance.
The director of this film, Yang Lina, and his previous "female trilogy" "Spring Dream", "Spring Tide", "Mom! is well-known and well-received; Screenwriter You Xiaoying has created "Love and Blind Date", "My Sister", "I Wish You Happiness!" and other works; Producer Yin Lu has also cooperated with the two choreographers and Yi Yang Qianxi many times.
Several creators who are good at controlling realistic themes and emotional expressions, this time they will once again focus on special groups, and what kind of fresh and unique life experience will be conveyed to the audience through the film "Little Me"? The film will also have its world premiere during the festival.
"Qiao Yan's Heart"
The film is directed by Zhao Deyin, starring Zhao Liying, Xin Zhilei, Huang Jue, and Dong Baobao, adapted from Zhang Yueran's novel "Da Qiao Xiao Qiao", which tells the story of two biological sisters who strive to break the situation and pursue freedom under the torrent of fate, which has been scheduled to be released in China on October 26. In the film, Zhao Liying plays a well-known actress in the entertainment industry who has been in Vanity Fair all the year round, and Xin Zhilei has also changed the image of a cold goddess in the audience's impression and turned into a pregnant woman who survives on the border.
The two collaborated for the first time, using the Yunnan border dialect to interpret a pair of sisters who love and kill each other, with the same roots but different hearts.
Not long ago, Zhao Liying won the Best Supporting Actress Award for the Hundred Flowers Award for Popular Films with the movie "Article 20" at the beginning of the year, and recently won the Feitian TV with the TV series "The Wind Blows in the Summer".
And Xin Zhilei's previous acting skills in the role of Li Li in "Flowers" also make us look forward to her interpretation of the role of "evil girl" who has been pregnant for several months, with dark skin and fierce eyes in the new film.
My Friend Andrei
The film is directed by Dong Zijian, starring Liu Haoran, Dong Zijian, and Yin Tao, adapted from the novel of the same name by Shuangxuetao, which tells the story of Li Mo (played by Liu Haoran), who returned to the Northeast for funeral, and unexpectedly reunited with his best friend Andre (played by Dong Zijian) when he was young.
This film is Dong Zijian's debut from an actor to a director, and he previously talked about the original intention of film creation: those pasts that we think we will forget will always leave a mark on life, and whether it is painful or not, these pasts will become friends in our lives and guide the direction of the future.
The directorial debut chose to cooperate with his friend Liu Haoran, and the wish made by the two under the meteor in a variety show two years ago came true: "I wish Chinese films are getting better and better", "I wish you can make Chinese films better and better", "I wish we can become a part of Chinese films on the road to getting better".
Now that this movie "related to good friends" has broken into the international eye, the original wish will also come true little by little.
"Daughter's Daughter"
Produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien, directed by Huang Xi, starring Zhang Aijia, Lin Jiaxin, Liu Yier, and Zhao Wenxuan, this film tells the story of Jin Aixia, played by Zhang Aijia, who was supposed to start enjoying the leisurely second half of her child's life after becoming independent after becoming a family, but because of an accident that disrupted the rhythm of life, she had to re-comb the complex complex of being a mother and a daughter at the same time, and meet new challenges that she had never imagined. The film was shortlisted for the platform competition unit of this year's Toronto Film Festival, and Zhang Aijia won the "Special Mention Award" in the platform unit for this film.
The jury praised Zhang Aijia's performance in the film: playing a mother with a conflicted heart and showing excellent acting skills, it was one of the best performances of her career. This time, the film was shortlisted for the main competition of the Tokyo Film Festival, and Zhang Aijia will also attack the Tokyo actress. The director of this film, Huang Xi, who was the assistant director of Hou Hsiao-hsien's "Assassin Nie Yinniang", whose debut film "Johnny · Keck" was nominated for Best New Director in the Golden Horse, this time she will delicately present the inner world of mothers and daughters from a female perspective, and explore LGBTQ communities, artificial reproduction and other issues. Previously in an interview, director Huang Xi said: "Throughout the process of legalizing same-sex marriage in Taiwan, there are countless stories, complex and controversial issues, and IVF is one of them." This reproductive topic involves a much larger group of people than you might think, and it's not just limited to the LGBTQ community. ”
"Daddy"
The film is directed by Weng Ziguang and starring Liu Qingyun, the story tells the story of Ruan Yongnian (played by Liu Qingyun), who lost his family, and returned to the tea restaurant to open a store as usual, making him feel that everything is still the same, and he is still living in the daily life of memories.
Blood relatives took away the love of life, Yongnian can neither hate the living, but also can not forget the deceased, only memories and fantasies are full of foam, so that Yongnian can find some truth in the confused life, even if he is separated from his son by a window, Yongnian works harder than ever to live like a "father".
This film represents Hong Kong, China in the main competition, which is also the first time in six years that a Hong Kong film has been shortlisted for this unit, and the last time was "Three Husbands" directed by Chen Guo in 2018. "Daddy" is adapted from the 2010 Hong Kong sensational murder case "Tsuen Wan Xianghe Street Mother and Sister Murder Case", continuing the style of "Treading Blood and Seeking Plum Blossoms" and "The Corridor of Justice" (produced by Weng Ziguang), director Weng Ziguang once again focuses on the marginalized characters in society, exploring the extremely complex father-son relationship between relatives and enemies who are not only the only remaining relatives but also enemies. With "Treading Blood and Seeking Plum Blossoms", Weng Ziguang was recognized by many awards, and then directed the commercial blockbuster "When the Wind Rises Again", but was coldly received by the market.
This time, Weng Ziguang returned to the field of "strange case films", which he was familiar with, and explored human nature through cases, can he win the favor of the judges of the Tokyo Film Festival? And Liu Qingyun, who has three Hong Kong film statues in hand, will also hit the Tokyo actor this time.
A regular visitor to the Tokyo Film Festival & a blessed place for Chinese-language films
In 1986, Zhang Yimou starred in "Old Well" stills
As one of the 14 international A-category film festivals in the world and one of the most important film festivals in Asia, the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is the largest and most watched film festival in Japan, attracting outstanding films and filmmakers from all over the world since its establishment in 1985, and is also the most important and indispensable stage for Chinese films. In the nearly 40-year history of the Tokyo Film Festival, Chinese-language films have won the Golden Kirin Award, the highest honor of the festival, 6 times, including: Wu Tianming's "Old Well" in 1987, Tian Zhuangzhuang's "Blue Kite" in 1993, Yan Hao's "Heavenly Rebel" in 1994, Zhang Zuoji's "Dark Light" in 1999, Huo Jianqi's "Warm" in 2003, and Wanma Tsedan's "Snow Leopard" in 2023, which is the country that has won this award the most times, and the host country Japan has only won the award twice. Not only is the film itself favored, but 7 Chinese actors have also been born here: Zhang Yimou "Old Well", Niu Zhenhua "Back to Back Face to Face", Leslie Cheung "Farewell My Concubine", Zhu Xu "Changing Face", Wang Qianyuan "Piano of Steel", Wang Jingchun "Police Diary", Duan Yihong "Blizzard is Coming"; 6 actresses: Zhao Lirong "Chinese New Year", Lu Liping "Blue Kite", Zeng Jing, Liu Ruoying "Beauty is Singing", Jin Yaqin "The Two of Us", Fan Bingbing "Guanyin Mountain", Chinese actors are dazzling here. Compared with the award-winning films and actresses, there may be fewer Chinese filmmakers who won the best director in the main competition, and there are 3 so far: Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine", Yan Hao's "Heavenly Rebel", and Wu Tianming's "Changing Face".
From 1994 to 1996, Chinese-speaking directors won this heavyweight award for three consecutive years, and now, this kind of pomp and circumstance is far away.
Zhang Yimou won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo Film Festival
Another similar Lifetime Achievement Award, the "Akira Kurosawa Award", has two Chinese filmmakers winners: Hou Xiaoxian and Chen Kaige. Although Gu Xiaogang, director of "The World of Grass and Trees" last year, and Fu Tianyu, director of Taiwan this year, also won the "Kurosawa Prize", the nature of the award has been adjusted to "recognize filmmakers who lead the future of the film industry", rather than "awarded to masters who have made outstanding contributions to world cinema" as previously defined.
The Lifetime Achievement Award won by Zhang Yimou last year is actually the original positioning of the "Akira Kurosawa Award". In this way, there are actually 3 Chinese filmmakers in the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo Film Festival. In addition to the stage where Chinese films and filmmakers shine in the competition for major awards, Chinese filmmakers can also be seen and heard on the jury behind the scenes.
Tony Leung is the chairman of the jury for the main competition of this year's Tokyo Film Festival, and he is also the fifth Chinese filmmaker to hold this position after Gong Li, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Zhang Ziyi. As for the Chinese filmmakers among the judges for more than 30 years, there are even more. Looking at many international film festivals around the world, the Tokyo Film Festival is undoubtedly a blessed place for Chinese films, witnessing the growth of several generations of Chinese filmmakers on the international stage, and Chinese films have also become frequent guests of the Tokyo Film Festival. Last year, Wanma Tseden's "Snow Leopard" won the Tokyo Sakura Award again after 20 years, and this year's five Chinese-language films will compete for this honor, which will undoubtedly form a "Tokyo fever" of Chinese-language films again.
Under the blazing spotlight, it remains to be seen whether Chinese-language films can finally gain preference and shine.
Attached: The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival shortlisted film list Main Competition Unit:
"Little Me" Yang Lina
"Qiao Yan's Heart" Zhao Deyin
"My Friend Andre" Dong Zijian
"Daughter's Daughter" Huang Xi
"Dad" Weng Ziguang
《再见,朋友》Ivan D. Gaona
"Burying the Dead" Marco · Dutra
"As It Is" Thierry· de · Peretti
"Lust in the Rain" Shinzo Katayama
"I love today's sky, but I can't say it" Dajiu Mingzi
"Enemy" Daihachi Yoshida
Cadet》 Adilkhan Yerzanov
《The Englishman's Papers》Sérgio Graciano
《Promise, I'll Be Fine》 Katarina Gramatova
《Traffic》Teodora Ana Mihai 亚洲未来单元:
"Cradle of the World" Zhang Ji'an
"Black Cow" Tetsuichiro Tsuta
"Three Karma" Ye Xingyu
"The Unpardonable Sin" Lin Shan/Tan Shanyang
"The Whale Who Doesn't Swim in the Sea" Wang Di
《Apollon by Day, Athena by Night》Emine Yildirim
《The Bora》Mohammad Esmaeilie
《Missing Child Videotape》Kondo Ryota
《Seema's Song》Raya Sadat
《Wait Until Spring》Ashkan Ashkani
其他单元入围的华语片： Gala Selection单元：
"Dog Formation" Guan Hu
"The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City" Zheng Baorui World Focus Unit:
"Broken · Hell" Chen Maoxian
"Sunshine Club" Wei Shujun "Nu River" Liu Juan Youth Unit:
《开始的枪》瞿尤嘉 Women’s Empowerment单元：
"Tiger Poison No" Chen Xiaojuan Special Screening:
"Only This Green" Zhou Liya / Han Zhen
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