Restored Shanghai dialect classic premieres during film festival
The restored classic Shanghai film “Da Li, Xiao Li and Lao Li” dubbed in Shanghai dialect was premiered on Sunday during the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival.
The 1962 film was the only comedy by renowned director and writer Xie Jin (1923-2008), a prominent figure among China’s third generation of directors.
Qiao Zhen, dubbing director of the restored film, said the Shanghai dialect version has fulfilled the long wishes of Xie, as the film was filmed in Shanghai.
“It’s an exciting thing to make the Shanghai dialect version of the comedy, we believe Xie would be pleased and I hope everyone can enjoy this film,” said Qiao.
Qiao and renowned actors including Xu Zheng, Zheng Kai, Shu Yue, Mao Shanyu, Cao Kefan and Zhang Jianya, who completed voice acting for no payment.
From left: Wu Xiaoming, Qiao Zhen, Qian Cheng, Yao Yonger is dubbing for the film.
The Shanghai dialect version of the film had 2K-image restoration done and new soundtrack composed.
“Da Li, Xiao Li and Lao Li” tells the story of three workers in a meatpacking factory whose last names were the same Li but distinguished with the prefix that explains age difference. Workshop director Lao Li, who’s older than the other two, didn’t like any kind of sports, but his son Xiao Li was passionate about sports more than anything else.
Labor union chairman Da Li, who’s also not an active person, was elected the head of the factory’s sport association, so he began exercising. Lao Li was worried the physical exercise would affect production efficiency, and he asked Da Li’s wife to persuade him not to promote sports in the factory. Unexpectedly, Lao Li himself was convinced to do sports and later became a fan of Tai Chi.
This film and Xie’s “Hibiscus Town” and “Legend of Tianyuan Mountain” are screened as part of the film panorama’s tribute to film masters section.
