Archive of films Story of Ermei / Jingzhe

China
2003, 115 min

Section: Forum of Independents - Competition
Year: 2004

This film, set in contemporary Northern China, follows the story of a naïve 20 year-old peasant girl called Ermei, who runs away from her village to live in a town. A powerful portrayal of life in present-day China featuring a remarkable main actress.  


Synopsis

The film is set in contemporary northern China and follows the story of a naēve 20-year-old peasant girl called Ermei. Ermei’s grandfather is dying.  In order to put on a presentable funeral, the family decides to buy a coffin made of cypress, but cypress is too expensive.  Ermei’s father cuts down his own cypress tree and is penalised with a hefty fine. The family arranges to marry Ermei to a villager named Zhang Suo who is willing to pay the fine.  Ermei flees the village to look for her friend Maonu who is working in a ‘hair salon’. After getting a job in a restaurant, Ermei soon finds out that Maonu works in reality as a prostitute. Disappointed with life in town, Ermei returns to her village having determined to follow through with her arranged marriage... A powerful portrayal of life in present-day China, the film shows the poverty and hopelessness of village life as well as the corruption and loss of values in the city. But it also depicts the strength and perserverance of the Chinese people. 

About the director

Wang Quanan (b. 1965) graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 1991. He worked at Xian Film Studio after graduation and wrote several screenplays during this time. In 1999, he directed his first film, Lunar Eclipse, which was invited to over twenty international film festivals and won the Critics Award for Best Picture at Moscow in 2000. In 2003, he wrote and directed Jingzhe which won the 2003 Golden Rooster Award in China for Best Actress. Filmography: Lunar Eclipse (Yue Shi, 2000), The Story of Ermei (Jingzhe, 2003).

Contacts

Beijing Silk-Road Productions
, 100036, Beijing
China
Tel: +86 139 109 995 48
E-mail: [email protected]

The Film Library
, , Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 259 402 20
Fax: +852 301 215 78
E-mail: [email protected]

About the film

Color, 35 mm

Section: Forum of Independents - Competition
   
Director: Quanan Wang
Screenplay: Wang Quanan
Dir. of Photography: Lutz Reitemeier
Music: Zhang Yang
Editor: Wang Quanan
Producer: Yan Yiyun, Wang Quanan
Production: Beijing Silk-Road Productions
Cast: Yu Nan, Yan Li, Liu Yanbing, Shi Xiaoxia
Contact: Beijing Silk-Road Productions, The Film Library
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