was shortlisted for the Asian Newcomer section of the Shanghai International Film Festival last year, even if the lineup of producer Er Dongsheng, starring Jiang David, Yu Xiangning, and Lin Baoyi is not weak, the movie " Daytime" to be released on April 12th is not weak. "Download " has not received the same attention as its reputation. So, is it worth watching?
Stills of "Under the Day"
We will see a feature film that is so real that it is almost thought to be a documentary. The background of the film takes place in 2015. The newspaper received a tip-off about the abuse of residents at Caiqiao Home, a residential care institution for the disabled. Reporter Ling Xiaoqi (played by Yu Xiangning) of the investigation team sneaked into the hospital and had personal contact with residents suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Tong Bo (played by David Chiang) exposes the inhumane life inside and looks for the cruel truth under the sun. In fact, the play refers to a number of real cases that caused a sensation in Hong Kong - including the 2014 "case where the director of Cambridge Home was suspected of having illegal sexual intercourse with a mentally retarded woman", the 2015 "resident of Cambridge Nursing Home was stripped naked and waited for a shower in the open air", In 2016, there was the “Shaomai and rice delivery incident at National Treasure Home for the Disabled” and the “bizarre deaths of 6 residents in Cambridge Home within 8 months” in the same year. It is reported that director Jian Junjin was shocked by the cruel truth after seeing the report. During the chat with the reporter involved, he learned about his inner struggles and contradictions - "The truth of the news and the inside story of the disabled residential home should not be forgotten by people." . Therefore, Jian Junjin decided to use images to record what was happening, and conceived "Under the Day" from a reporter's perspective. "Some evil things will happen at night. In fact, these evil things will happen around us, especially in the sunny day." The director explained the title of the film.
is real and the greatest feeling. The audience can follow the gaze of the reporter in the film and enter the interior of the dilapidated and dilapidated "Caiqiao House", and see how the ferocious-looking head nurse "habitually" abuses the elderly, how she intimidates mentally retarded young people, and even He was repeatedly beaten, nailed on his arms and other cruel acts. When I saw the old people being tied up hand and foot, taking off their clothes and pants, and being hosed down on the rooftop... there was only solemn silence and deep sighs in the entire theater. The reality is the fear, helplessness and anger that filled the screen when Xiaoling, a mentally retarded girl, was sexually assaulted by the dean. At the 17th Asian Film Awards in March, Liang Yongting, who played Xiaoling, won the Best Supporting Actress Award. Through her delicate and precise eyes, movements and extremely limited lines, she makes the audience almost feel her pain.
Yu Xiangning presents an image of confidence, independence and a sense of justice in the film, which is impressive. Lin Baoyi uses restrained and precise body language and facial expressions to show the complex emotions and ambivalence of the hypocritical villain in a rich and layered manner.
The stills of "Under the Day"
are true. Through the reporter's combing, we learned that even though Hong Kong society has public welfare institutions with transparent supervision, resources are seriously insufficient. Generally, people with disabilities need to queue for 15 years to wait for a public bed. In some private institutions, there are only two people responsible for managing and caring for more than 80 elderly people. The truth is that even though the living environment in the disabled homes is cramped and even though the disabled or disabled elderly are abused, they still provide them with a place of refuge. When reporters pursue the justice they insist on and do their best to speak out in the way they think is right. However, in the end, it harmed the vital interests of the residents and put them in the predicament of losing their stable life.
Perhaps, this is the core of what the film wants to explore and express in depth. Compared with darkness, the shadows under the day may swallow people up more. The truth was told against all odds, but no one could really take responsibility for it and solve the problem. For this reason, the director did not give a clear answer or solution at the end of the movie, or even try to tell the audience that everything will get better.
This reality makes people feel depressed and painful when they walk out of the theater, and it is difficult to let go.
In South Korea, "The Melting Pot" not only achieved great success at the box office, but also promoted the promulgation of the "Melting Pot Law" to protect the rights of children and disabled people.Compared with the ending of "Under the Day" when the lawsuit was withdrawn, in the real "Cambridge House" case, because the victim's family insisted on appealing, they finally won the court ruling through a civil lawsuit and waited for a just decision. Perhaps this is the value of such a movie. We can't change anything immediately, but at least we have the courage to face reality.
Source: Xinmin Evening News
