Mixed editing of the 14th Beijing International Film Festival shortlisted films Collapse
1905 Movie News On March 28, the 14th Beijing International Film Festival announced the shortlisted films for the Tiantan Award in this year's main competition unit. A total of 15 masterpieces from 21 countries and regions will be screened this April. Audience friends gathered in Beijing.
Chairman of the Tiantan Award Jury, Serbian director Emil Kusturica, Australian sound designer David White, actor Fei Xiang, Austrian director Jessica Hausner, Brazilian animation director Carlos Saldanha, and Chinese actor Ma Li , and Chinese actor Zhu Yilong jointly decided the final winner of the Tiantan Award.
The following is a detailed introduction to the shortlisted films:
"A Real Job"
Director: Thomas Lilti (Thomas Lilti)
Country: France
Benjamin is a doctoral student. Because he did not receive a scholarship, he Got a job as a substitute teacher in a middle school. Faced with a school full of problems, Benjamin, who had no training and no experience, realized how difficult this job was. Later, he met a group of united and dedicated colleagues, and gradually realized the profound connotation of this job in the process of working together.
Before 2016, director Thomas Litty was a general practitioner who also worked as a director and screenwriter. While at school he made three short films, his work screened at student film festivals. His talent was discovered and he was given the opportunity to shoot his first film, Blindfolded (2007). After that, he participated in the production of a series of film and television works as a screenwriter. In September 2014, his second film "Hippocrates" was released. The protagonist of this film is a new doctor. Liddy combined his two majors very well. The film was a commercial success and critical acclaim, for which he received three nominations for the 2015 French César Awards. In 2018, his third film "Irreplaceable" attracted 1.5 million viewers into the theater. Afterwards, Thomas Litty collaborated with Canal+ to produce the TV series version of "Hippocrates", and in 2018 they collaborated again on the new film "Medical Rebirth".
"A Whole Life"
Director: Hans Steinbichler (Hans Steinbichler)
Country: Austria, Germany
This film is adapted from Robert Sesseler's global best-selling novel. At the beginning of the 20th century, Andreas, a young orphan, was sent to a farm in a remote valley to live with his ruthless uncle. At the age of 18, he mustered up the courage to escape and became a woodcutter. Andreas used the money he had saved to rent a mountain cabin and met Marie, the light of his life. However, Andreas was helplessly conscripted, joined the German Wehrmacht, and rushed to the front line of the former Soviet Union with almost no chance of winning. When Andreas returned from the baptism of war, the world was changed beyond recognition.
Hans Steinbichler grew up in southern Bavaria and studied directing at the Munich Film Academy. His debut feature, Guilty Connection (2003), won several awards. Hans's second feature film Winter Journey (2005) premiered in the official competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and was shortlisted for the German Film Award for Best Film. Another of Hans's films, The Second Woman (2007), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the prestigious Grimaud-Presse Award for Director for the second time. The Blue Sky (2011), which he directed, won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Film. "The New Diary of Anne Frank" directed by him in 2016 premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and won the German Metropolitan Director Award. Two years later, he won the award again for directing The Unheard Woman (2018).
"All the Long Nights"
Director: Miyake (Sho Miyake)
Country: Japan
This film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Seo Maiko. Misa Fujisawa suffers from premenstrual syndrome, which makes her uncharacteristically short-tempered and unable to stay calm even when facing her superiors. In order to change this situation, she decided to find another job and change her environment. Five years later, she found a new job at Kurita Scientific. Sitting next to her workstation is a young man named Takatoshi Yamazoe who is much younger than the other employees. Yamazoe Takatoshi behaves strangely, is taciturn, and suffers from panic disorder, but Fujisawa Misa takes good care of him. The hero and heroine become increasingly close but do not fall in love, but their hearts are healed.
Director Sang Miyake was born in Hokkaido in 1984. He graduated from the Sociology Department of Hitotsubashi University and studied at the Tokyo Film Academy. His film "Keiko, Gaze" (2022) was shortlisted for the Adventure Section of the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, and won the Best Film Award, Best Director Award and many other honors at the 77th Japan Mainichi Film Awards.
"Back to Alexandria"
Director: Tamer Ruggli
Country: Switzerland, France, Egypt, Qatar
After twenty years of separation, Sue returned to Egypt to meet Her estranged mother. His mother, Firouz, is a charming and eccentric aristocrat. During an unexpected journey back to Alexandria from Cairo, Sue reconnects with her loved ones and confronts shocking and painful events from her past. She will come to terms with her past and ultimately find her true self and become a strong woman.
Tamer Rugli is a Swiss-Egyptian filmmaker who graduated from the University of Art and Design in Lausanne (ECAL). After studying at the New York Film Academy to improve his writing skills in 2015, he won the 2016 Swiss Writers Association (SSA) scholarship for his debut feature screenplay "Back to Alexandria." Tamer's short films have been selected and won awards at many well-known international film festivals, including the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and the Los Angeles Outfest Film Festival.
"Death Is a Problem for the Living"
Director: Teemu Nikki
Country: Finland
Gambler Risto Kiev and his friend Atoniska, a man with only brain tissue 15% of men are hearse drivers living at the bottom of society. They encountered many difficulties and urgently needed a new starting point. In the end, the mindless Ato and the conscienceless Risto are forced to risk their lives.
Taimuniki is a accomplished and experienced filmmaker. The son of a pig farmer in Sussmai, Finland, he is self-taught and has received critical acclaim for his work and has won numerous awards. Nicky is good at making political satire on human nature in a kind and sharp way, which is thought-provoking. The film "A Blind Man Who Didn't Want to Watch Titanic" (2021) directed by him won the Audience Award at the Venice Film Festival, and won the Tiantan Award for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Screenplay at the 12th Beijing International Film Festival. Three awards for Best Actor. Nicki's other film credits include "Local Opponent" (2020), "Die on Goodness" (2017), and the 2021 TV series "Mister8" and "Psycho".
"Stop and Go" (Gold or Shit)
Director: Long Fei
Country: China
Wu Di, a down-and-out literary and artistic young man from the north, was frustrated at work and love, and returned home depressed. Wu Di's sudden return to his hometown broke the family's originally peaceful life. Not only did he need to face the close relationship with his family again, but he also needed to find more possibilities for his future. After many obstacles in the face of reality, he met his high school classmate Feng Liuliu by chance, and his life took an unexpected turn.
director Long Fei's first feature film "The Sofa Sleeper" was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the 11th FIRST Youth Film Festival.His new work "Stop and Go" stars Hu Ge and Gao Yuanyuan. The unique life-flow light comedy style is very personal and the image style is delicate and sincere.
"Guardians of the Formula"
Director: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Country: Serbia/Slovenia/Montenegro/North Macedonia/France
In October 1958, the Cold War was at its peak. . At the National Nuclear Research Institute of Yugoslavia in Venca (a suburb of Belgrade), a group of young scientists were conducting a secret experiment under the leadership of Professor Dragoslav Popovich, which resulted in them being exposed to a lethal dose of uranium radiation. They were sent to the Institut Curie treatment center led by the famous doctor Georges Mattei for experimental medical treatment. With only days left to live, the medical team was at their wits' end. Therefore, Dr. Mattei proposed the first-ever human bone marrow transplant. The story is adapted from real events.
Dragan Bjeloglic is a Serbian actor, director and producer. During his forty-year acting career, he is known for his superb acting skills; and for nearly two decades, he has also devoted himself to producing and directing movies and TV series, making him the most well-known and successful film and television actor in the region. One of the creators.
"Journey through the Moon" (I Love You, to the Moon, and Back)
Director: Li Weiran
Country: China
Travel is for separation. Or to get together. Newly married Lin Xiushan and Wang Rui work in different cities. They meet once a month and take the green slow train to each other's city. They set the alarm clock, make love for the night, and then part ways in the morning light. In the years before mobile phones, it was a long-distance relationship that belonged to the parents' generation. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two unexpectedly got a day off and wanted to surprise each other. But God seemed to be joking. Throughout the day, the two of them rushed/missed/returned in a hurry, constantly running in both directions, and constantly passing each other. On the train traveling in the opposite direction, the two met all kinds of passengers: some were vying for pleasure, some were gathering and breaking up, and some were living or dying. After a tiring day, the two of them savored the flavor of life and appreciated the reality and reality of love. The moon hangs high, overlooking the personnel. When the two were about to give up, God seemed to hear their prayers
Li Weiran was born in Kunming, Yunnan, and graduated from Beijing Film Academy. Chinese film director and advertising producer. He became the first Chinese to win the One Show Award, the highest honor in the advertising industry, for his work on Children's Fund's "Other People's Children". During the 10 years of shooting commercials, he has won numerous domestic and foreign advertising awards and is known as the first local advertising director in China. Director Li Weiran's first film "Battle of Shama Town" was shortlisted for multiple awards.
"Milk"
Director: Stefanie Kolk
Country: The Netherlands
A few days after the miscarriage, Robin's breasts began to produce milk. Robin couldn't just throw her milk away, so she made the unusual decision to donate her milk. The process of finding donation channels was more difficult than she expected, and more and more milk began to occupy her refrigerator space, even affecting her relationships and daily life.
Stephanie Kolker lived in Japan for two years and majored in biophysics before attending the Netherlands Film School. Her graduation short film "The Family" and short films "Port" and "Looking Ahead" premiered in the Leopards of Tomorrow Short Film International Competition at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2016, 2017 and 2019 respectively. Stephanie's film work has been shown at film festivals around the world and has been broadcast in Dutch cinemas and on Dutch national television. In 2019, she participated in the Berlin Film Festival’s Berlin Talent Program and was selected for the Dutch Film Festival’s Talent Path Program in the same year. Her first feature film "Breast" was selected for the script section of the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival and had its world premiere in the 2023 Venice Days section.
Not a Word
Director: Hanna Slack
Countries: Germany, France, Slovenia
When Nina learns that her teenage son Lars has been injured in an accident at school, She faces a difficult decision: whether she can put aside her rehearsals with the orchestra and be with him wholeheartedly. Eventually, she came to a compromise: she would leave Munich and take Lars to an island in western France for a five-day holiday. In the seaside cabin, mother and son were forced to face each other. As the misunderstanding deepens, initial speculation gradually turns into suspicion: Did Lars witness a horrific crime at school? Was he even involved? When a winter storm cuts off the island's last connection with the European continent, a dangerous confrontation quietly begins.
Hannah Slack is a film director and screenwriter who specializes in a variety of narrative languages. She has directed a number of big-screen productions, including The Blind Side (2002), Thea (2007) and The Miner (2017), as well as creating documentaries and experimental short films. Her films have been screened at Berlin Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Warsaw Film Festival and many other international film festivals. "Miner" represents Slovenia in the 2018 Oscar for Best International Film. Silence is Slack's fourth theatrical feature and her first German-language film.
"Lost Baby" (Stolen)
Director: Karan Tejpal
Country: India
A five-month-old baby was snatched from the arms of its mother, the mother Juppa Maha Tuo is a poor tribal woman with a painful past. The heinous incident happened to be witnessed by photographer Raman Bansal. Gautam Bansal is a wealthy urban youth who comes to the station to pick up his younger brother Raman. The relationship between brothers is already delicate. After the two were involved in Jupa's journey to find his son, their friendship was severely tested. The three were forced to crawl at the bottom of the dark society. In the process, their tenacity, trust in each other, and even their humanity were all tested. Amid the thrilling action and struggle for survival, deeper themes of motherhood, classism, xenophobia, and disillusionment with the system emerge.
Karantjipal is an Indian writer and director. He is deeply inspired by the complex and ever-changing environment around him and is committed to exploring and presenting the stories behind it. His first feature film "Lost Baby" had its world premiere at the 80th Venice Film Festival. Tejpal started his career directing Bollywood blockbusters and has also ventured into various fields including commercials and television. He found his niche in independent films, and his early screenwriting work was recognized by the Sundance Screenwriters Lab (2016) and the NFDC Screenwriters Lab (2014).
"Strangers when We Meet" (Strangers when We Meet)
Director: Zhang Guoli
Country: China
The film is adapted from the true story "The Murderous Girl in a Wedding Dress". Lao Qin, who had served 27 years in prison, had no relatives after he was released from prison and only had a huge sum of money from demolition. In order to fulfill the vow he made to his parents to carry on the family line, he came to the women's prison to find his spouse and met Chang Juan, who was carrying a secret. Chang Juan, who was released from prison, wanted a marriage and Lao Qin's money, but in her eyes, people who came out of prison were not worthy of continuing the family line. Conflicts are inevitable, and secrets surface. The two people face heart-wrenching choices several times: Lao Qin wants to live, giving everything for a trace of warmth; Chang Juan wants to die, with no nostalgia for this world. How can they redeem themselves?
Zhang Guoli is a national first-class actor, director and producer. He has won outstanding domestic film and television awards such as the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award, the TV Feitian Award, the Golden Eagle Award, the Magnolia Award, the Film Golden Rooster Award, and the Hundred Flowers Award, as well as international awards such as Best Actor at the Cairo Film Festival. He is a well-known actor in China. ,director.
"The Ant Woman"
Directors: Betania Cappato (Betania Cappato), Adrian Suarez (Adrian Suarez)
Country: Argentina
Renata had nowhere to go, so she had to seek refuge. Her sister Virginia also accepted her with kindness and hoped to help her. But as the days pass, trivial matters in life gradually expose the cracks in their relationship. The unbearable memories of the past reappear in various bizarre ways, leaving them in pain.
Batanya Capato was born in 1984 in Argentina. Her first feature film "The School at the Wessou" premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2021 and won the Youth Jury Special Mention Award. The film was also shortlisted for the Tiantan Award in the main competition of the 11th Beijing International Film Festival, and participated in many film festivals such as Melbourne, Tallinn Night, Huelva, Mar del Plata and other film festivals, and won many awards. "Ant Girl" is her second feature film, co-directed with Adrian Suarez, which premiered at the Mar del Plata Film Festival in 2023 and won an award.
Adrian Suarez was born in Argentina in 1976. The short films he directed include: "Emilia" (2008), "The Waiting Road" (2010), and "Adam" (2014). Among them, "The Road to Wait" won the FIPRESCI International Film Critics Award at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival. He is also the screenwriter of the animated short film One Day (2007) and co-wrote and acted in the film Caddy (2003, Anna Polyak). "Ant-Girl" is his first feature film.
"The City"
Director: Amit Ulman (Amit Ulman)
Country: Israel
The story takes place in a fictional world, a dark city, at an unknown time. On a stormy night, Sarah Bennett came to Detective Joe's office and asked him to help find her missing sister. Even though Joe knew it would be a thankless task, he agreed to investigate. Joe is immediately drawn into the tangled web of events, facing off against the city's most dangerous criminals alone.
Amit Ullman is a director, screenwriter and actor. He graduated from Nissan Natif School of Performing Arts. "Urban Deep" is his debut film. He has created and appeared in productions such as "McGashington High," and has also directed and edited music videos and theatrical sketches. He has released two albums of music, including Hatzi Sogrim, the first album of spoken-word poetry in Hebrew.
"The Reeds"
Director: Cemil Ağacıkoğlu
Country: Turkey/Bulgaria
Ali lives in a small village at the foot of the mountains in the Anatolian region, facing landlords and locals He rose up to resist the gang's oppression; at the same time, he also tried to restore his relationship with his wife. Whether he can win this battle between justice and evil will determine his future destiny.
Cemil Achikolu is a screenwriter and director from Istanbul. Since 2011, he has created and directed four films, and his works have been shortlisted for the main competition units of film festivals such as Montreal and Sarajevo. He co-produced his fifth film "The Reeds" with Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, which was supported by the Ministry of Culture.
