The clarity of what TA’ANG wants to be as a film – and the degree to which it achieves this – results in one of Wang Bing’s most memorable and impressive works to date.
A Young Patriot – An Interview with Director Du Haibin
We spoke to Chinese filmmaker Du Haibin about his intimate character study of nationalism in A YOUNG PATRIOT.
Mountains May Depart
Jia Zhangke’s MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART deals with the sudden and enormous impact the role of capitalism and economic growth in China can have on its social spheres.
The Chinese Mayor
THE CHINESE MAYOR is a fascinating character study of the strange and buoyantly technocratic figure: the former Mayor of Datong, Geng Yanbo
Double Happiness
DOUBLE HAPPINESS is a thought-provoking film that explores the idea of “copying” through a visually entertaining and fascinating exploration of plagiarised historical sites in China.
Lake August
Heng has a highly defined style that he’s articulated to a markedly more distinct degree in his latest work; his characters move around in a confined and claustrophobic foreground, whilst the landscapes behind them drift off indefinitely, leaving the humans in the frame with a tacit insignificance.
Black Coal, Thin Ice – An Interview with Diao Yinan, Writer/Director
“I can see a type of beauty in it. I can also see the relationship between the industry and people. A person from an industrial background can also see the loneliness it creates.” – Diao Yinan, director of the impressive official competition feature Black Coal, Thin Ice
China: Rebels, Ghosts and Romantics – An Interview With Guest Programmer Shelly Kraicer
For 2014’s festival, Kraicer has programmed an incredibly diverse mixture of films from mainland China.
‘Til Madness Do Us Part
‘Til Madness Do Us Part is filled with achingly raw footage of their daily lives. Wang Bing’s absence throughout the film allows for an intimacy few documentaries achieve with their subjects, and Bing’s ability to do it in a way that fails to violate or disrespect those inside the asylum is a mark of rare sort of a documentary maker.
China, Hollywood and Spike Jonze’s Her
Spike Jonze’s Her follows in the footsteps of recent films like Looper in shooting major scenes, in this case a large amount of the film, in China. We look at the use of Shanghai’s architecture and skyline here.