Shanghai film fest showcases domestic movies
The media conference for "All Ears" at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival.
Famous actor Hu Ge plays the leading role in "All Ears."
Heartthrob Wu Lei
The ongoing 25th Shanghai International Film Festival is providing a platform for homegrown movies before their official release.
"All Ears," a nominee for this year's Golden Goblet Awards Main Competition, premiered at the Shanghai Film Art Center on Saturday.
The film, directed by Liu Jiayin and produced by Cao Baoping, centers on a scriptwriter's growth and new discoveries in life after he starts to write eulogies for the dead.
Director and scriptwriter Liu said that it has been more than a decade since her last film. She wrote the script as a conclusion to her own life in the past years.
"The story is loosely based on some of my own experiences," said Liu. "Just like me, the protagonist used to be confused about his career and life but he finally finds where his true position is."
Urban dwellers, in her eyes, are accustomed to pouring out their feelings and troubles to others in fast-paced big cities. But the protagonist listens to people and comforts them with words.
"I hope everyone can feel the warmth of the film," Liu added. "It is about human relationships and self recognition."
Famous actor Hu Ge plays the leading role Wen Shan in the film. He said he was touched by script which has healing powers.
"Death is a topic that many Chinese people would avoid mentioning," Hu said. "Therefore many people fail to make preparations for it. Usually when people read the eulogies, they come to realize how important this person is. But he has already passed away."
Hu added that the pain caused by his mother's death in 2019 had been cured by the portrayal of the role.
"Moscow Mission" is based on the 1993 Sino-Russian train robbery.
The cast of the film attended the film festival, including Zhang Hanyu (left), Huang Xuan (center) and Janice Man.
Andy Lau also stars in "Moscow Mission."
The cast of the highly anticipated action-packed drama film "Moscow Mission" also showed up at Saturday's film fest.
The film by Herman Yau is based on the 1993 Sino-Russian train robbery, a real event that shocked the world.
At that time the train was ransacked by groups of gangsters. For several days many passengers on the train were tortured and humiliated by criminals. The incident caused a sensation, and a transnational hunt that lasted for 18 years to arrest all of the criminals.
Starring Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu and Huang Xuan, the film follows Chinese cross-border pursuit of the gangsters.
High-speed races, explosions, gun battles and underwater fights are featured in the movie to present compelling visuals.
Yau said he studied many documents about the criminal case.
The film also portrays how people lived in the 1990s.
Actor Zhang Hanyu depicts Chinese cop Cui Zhenhai in the film.
"Cops today have many high-tech investigation means," Zhang said. "However cops decades ago had to depend on their experience and wits to solve a case."
The official release date of the two films is yet to be decided, but will probably be later in the year.
