New Films By Zhang Yimou, Wang Quan'an, Ding Sheng, And Yang Rui To Get European Premieres#
Running from February 11-21, the Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, is one of the world's top film festivals and media events. This year, the Chinese presence at the 60th annual Berlinale includes some of China's most respected and award-winning directors, one of whom -- sixth generation filmmaker Wang Quan'an -- will open the festival with his film Apart Together(Tuan Yuan).Wang previously won the prestigious Golden Bear award at the 2007 Berlinale for his film Tuya's Marriage (Tuya de Hunshi).
In addition to Wang's Apart Together, Zhang Yimou's Coen Brothers remake A Simple Noodle Story (San Qiang Pai An Jingqi), Yang Rui's Crossing the Mountain (Fan Shan), Ding Sheng's Little Big Soldier (Da Bing Xiao Jiang), and Huang Ji's short film The Warmth Of Orange Peel (Juzipi de Wendu) will make their European premieres. From Hong Kong, Scud's Amphetamine, Alex Law's Echoes Of The Rainbow (Shui Yuet Sun Tau), and True Legend (Su Qi Er) by Yuen Woo Ping will have their European premieres.
Of the Chinese films to be shows at the Berlinale, A Simple Noodle Story and Apart Together will vie for the jury's top prize, the Golden Bear. Considering Zhang's film met with widespread disappointment upon its release in China last year, Apart Together seems to have a better chance. However, Zhang is a long-time Berlinale darling, having won a Golden Bear for his debut film Red Sorghum (which will be shown again at this year's festival) back in 1988.
As Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick told Chinese reporters this week, Apart Together was chosen to open this year's festival partly because of the film's story of family separation and reunion, which Kosslick said resonates strongly with German audiences. From People's Daily:
"I think 'Apart Together' is symbolic at this moment (20th anniversary of the German reunification) with subjects of families, different kinds of families, which can be linked with the German history of [division] and reunion," [Kosslick] added.
Wang Quan'an['s film "Apart Together" tells] the story of a soldier who left Shanghai on the mainland for Taiwan in 1949 after the defeat of the Kuomintang.
The storyline develops along the heart-breaking separation among the loved ones, the soul-searching [memories] of one another, and the tear-drawing [sic] reunion with helpless retrospect of elapsed years.
"We really like the film. The movie is about departing and joining again, which is familiar with many Germans, especially those living in Berlin."