As a long-time admirer of Chinese cinema, I’ve been thrilled to witness the emergence of a new generation of talented filmmakers like Jiang Xiaoxuan, Zhang Xuyu, and Qiu Yang. Their unique perspectives and personal stories about contemporary life in China are not only captivating but also reflect the essence of their experiences.
Guan Hu’s victory at Cannes this year for his film “Black Dog” made news, and rightfully so.
One of China’s Sixth Generation filmmakers who rose to prominence in the early 1990s, Hu, now 56 years old, has managed over the past three decades to strike a balance in his career. He creates commercially successful films like the war epic The Eight Hundred, which secures his financial stability, while also fulfilling his creative needs through making more daring and personal films.
Black Dog falls under the category of dark humor, as it portrays a harsh story about an ex-convict trying to rebuild his life in his small-town hometown. The success of this film continues a trend that started in the 90s, with the Sixth Generation filmmakers consistently excelling at international festivals and winning numerous awards. Notable figures among them include Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Diao Yinan, all of whom are now in their fifties.
It appears that 2024 may signal a shift in times. Over the last year, an up-and-coming group of less prominent directors from China have made their mark on the festival scene. This trend among budding filmmakers reflects a growing tendency to produce uniquely personal films capturing modern life in China.
Jiang Xiaoxuan’s debut film, titled “To Kill a Mongolian Horse“, had its initial screening in the Venice Days segment at the Venice Film Festival. After graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Jiang went back to her homeland in Inner Mongolia to narrate a tale that revolves around a local horseman (portrayed by newcomer Saina) who is grappling with the decision to embrace modern society and its economic benefits, or adhere to the age-old traditions that have been passed down through generations.
The filmmaker describes the movie as being similar to a poignant, emotional ode to her homeland. She also mentions that it serves as a record of a significant life change in her main actor’s life. Being able to share this tale globally with people who appreciate such narratives gives her tremendous optimism. In essence, reworking and building a narrative that echoes real-life experiences for me and my peers provides us with the opportunity to reflect on our current path and potentially empowers us to mold our own futures.
Jiang was honored with the ‘Authors Under 40’ Award for outstanding directing and screenwriting at Venice, and she has been nominated for the titles of Best Director and Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, which will take place on November 30th.
This year, the film festival organizer, Busan International Film Festival, hosted its Asian Film Academy – a 20-day event that is Asia’s largest film festival and seeks out talented individuals from the region. Among those who attended was Annie Song, based in Beijing, who was recognized as a co-winner of the program’s most promising filmmaker award. This recognition came following her production work on four out of eight short films that students were required to create.
Earlier, the film titled “Frankenfish by the River“, produced by Song, was first shown to the world in July at China’s premier event for up-and-coming independent filmmakers, the FIRST International Film Festival, which takes place in Xining, a central Chinese city. The movie, directed by its leading actress Chen Yusha, tells the story of a young woman navigating heartbreak and the challenges of growing up.
She expresses her view that the Chinese film industry is at a pivotal moment. With an escalating number of youthful, multicultural directors arising, the sector is gradually acknowledging their talent. Moreover, there’s been a rise in financing forums and market events to establish chances and stages where budding filmmakers can present their ideas, and production companies can interact with them.
Among this year’s FIFF standouts, “Frankenfish by the River” was one of many coming-of-age films. According to Song, these intimate narratives have been increasingly popular – a trend she attributes to the impact of the pandemic.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, this generation has been prompted to introspect and concentrate on their personal narratives, which has sparked new concepts. Consequently, an increase in affordable yet high-quality films is being observed. This trend not only showcases diversity in themes but also in filmmaking techniques, as budding directors confidently explore unconventional methods to push boundaries and stimulate creativity.
For the first time as a director, Zhang Xuyu was present at both the Busan International Film Festival (FIFF) and in Busan itself, and his debut movie, titled “Fishbone“, had its global introduction at the Shanghai Film Festival in June. This film is a coming-of-age drama focusing on a young woman navigating life after failing her college entrance exam. The feature film garnered positive responses from audiences in Busan, where it was shown as part of the special Teen Spirit, Teen Movie category.
Zhang thinks that Korean viewers understood the family conflicts and the distinctive stresses linked to the South Korean and Chinese college entrance exams, which were central themes in his work.
Zhang notes that Chinese viewers show great excitement and curiosity about tales reflecting modern-day Chinese lifestyle. With China’s rapid advancement over the past few decades, society has transitioned into a new era. Audience members are equally eager for movies that resonate with their current experiences in this new stage. In recent years, films centering around realistic themes have gained significant popularity within the mainstream Chinese market.
Similar to Zhang and Song, director Qiu Yang drew upon his personal experiences for his debut feature film, titled Some Rain Must Fall. This movie narrates the tale of a mother whose seemingly idyllic life crumbles when she accidentally harms the grandmother of one of her daughter’s friends. It was awarded the special jury prize in the Horizons section at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
Qiu recalls that the crowd showed interest in his choice of directing a tale about a discontented middle-aged housewife, as a male director. He explained that this project was largely influenced by his own mother,” says Qiu.
However, even though “Rain”, “Mongolian Horse” and “Fishbone” are all set for a domestic cinema debut, Qiu is not entirely convinced that the positive reviews from festivals will translate into strong box office sales at home.
He expresses some uncertainty and states, “For movies that aren’t very sensual and focus on everyday folks living their normal lives, I believe there is less appeal for viewers, whether locally or globally.
Regardless, Jiang hopes that China’s new filmmakers will continue expanding their horizons.
She expresses optimism, saying, “I’m hoping that the upcoming generations will reshape the movie industry landscape, showing courage, openness, and eagerness to innovate.
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2024-11-05 16:25