Forum of Independents - Competition 2004 / Jingzhe / China 2003
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.
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.
115 min / Color, 35 mm
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
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).
Beijing Silk-Road Productions
, 100036, Beijing
China
Phone: +86 139 109 995 48
E-mail: [email protected]
The Film Library
, , Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Phone: +852 259 402 20
Fax: +852 301 215 78
E-mail: [email protected]
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