2024 The 77th Cannes International Film Festival in France announced the shortlist of major awards on the 11th local time. Chinese-language films performed outstandingly at this film festival, with four works successfully shortlisted for different units. In particular, "The Romance" directed by Chinese director Jia Zhangke was successfully shortlisted for the main competition and competed for the highest award, the Palme d'Or. This is the tenth feature film directed by Jia Zhangke and his sixth time competing for the Palme d'Or. It is also the sixth time that a work starring Zhao Tao has been shortlisted for the main competition of the Cannes International Film Festival.
"The Romantic Generation" took 22 years to film.
"The Romantic Generation" directed by Chinese director Jia Zhangke and starring Zhao Tao has been shortlisted for the main competition. This is also the first time in 6 years that Jia Zhangke has been shortlisted for the main competition in Cannes since 2018's "江湖 sons and daughters ". Previously, Jia Zhangke's works have been shortlisted for the main competition five times, namely: "Ren Xiaoyao" in 2002 was shortlisted for the 55th Cannes Film Festival; " Twenty-Four Cities " was shortlisted for the 61st Cannes Film Festival in 2008 Main competition; 2013 "Destiny" was shortlisted for the main competition of the 66th Cannes Film Festival (winner of the Best Screenplay Award); 2015 " " was shortlisted for the main competition of the 68th Cannes Film Festival; 2018 "Children of Rivers and Lakes" Shortlisted for the main competition of the 71st Cannes Film Festival.
"The Romantic Generation" is set in the first 21 years of this century and tells the story of how a Chinese woman experienced the noisy life in silence. It is worth noting that the filming cycle of the film also lasted 22 years, and Zhao Tao participated in the entire filming from 2001 to 2023. The film co-stars Li Zhubin, Pan Jianlin, and Lan Zhou, with special appearances by Zhou You, Renke, and Maotao .
Cannes artistic director Fu Mao said that "The Romantic Generation" shows the separation and reunification of a pair of lovers in a small town in northern China and social changes in the changing years. Its smooth narrative and documentary-style image format impressed Cannes film selectors.
Many Chinese-language films have been shortlisted for different sections.
In addition, "Jiangyuan Lane" directed by Chen Kexin and starring Zhang Ziyi, Lei Jiayin, Yang Mi, Yi Yang Qianxi, etc. has also been shortlisted for the non-competition screening section of this year's Cannes Film Festival. This film is adapted from one of the four most bizarre cases in Shanghai in 1945: The Husband-Murder Case in Jiang Yuan Nong: Zhan Zhou, who lived in Jiang Yuan on Xinchang Road in Shanghai, used a knife to kill her husband Zhan Yunying, who had abused her for many years. Since then, an endless stream of suspects and witnesses have gradually revealed Zhan Zhou's miserable life, but the case has fallen into layers of mystery. The fate of the Zhan Zhou family has also been repeatedly rewritten by the changes in the current situation.
The movie "Dog Formation" directed by director Guan Hu and starring Peng Yuyan and Tong Liya was shortlisted for the Un Certain Regard unit. This unit focuses on emerging directors and niche films, demonstrating the vitality and diversity of Chinese-language films in terms of cutting-edge creative forces. The film tells the story of Erlang, who joins a private dog hunting team and spends his days transporting stray dogs. Later, a stray dog awakened his compassion for life and saved the stray dog. Film producer Liang Jing said: "I am honored that the film "Dogs" has been shortlisted for this year's Cannes International Film Festival. I hope to work with all Chinese filmmakers to make the world pay more attention to Chinese films."
by "Kowloon Walled City: The Siege" directed by Cheng Baorui and starring Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, and Yan Xianqi was shortlisted for the midnight screening unit. This unit usually showcases works with unique styles and innovative attempts. The shortlisted works of director Zheng Baorui undoubtedly add a more diverse look to Chinese films. "The Siege of Kowloon Walled City" is adapted from the comic book of the same name. It tells the story of Chen Luojun, a passionate young man who was framed and was issued a pursuit order by the boss of the army. After being seriously injured, Chen Luojun was rescued by Wei Shui and fled into the peaceful Kowloon Walled City. There are hidden masters in the walled city, and the only one who can restrain the big boss is the tornado. The brothers in the walled city unite to fight against the big boss life and death and protect everyone's home.
Thierry Fremaux, general representative of the Cannes Film Festival, said at a press conference on the 11th that he was very happy to see many Chinese films returning after the new crown epidemic during the selection process of this year’s film festival.
Masters gathered in the Palme d'Or and the competition is fierce.
It is reported that the 77th Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 14th to 25th. The chairman of the jury is Greta Gerwei, the American female director who became popular around the world with "Barbie" last year. grid. There are currently 19 officially announced films in the main competition unit, with 3 more to be announced.
19's film list shows that there are many masters gathered here. Among them, the one that attracts the most attention is Francis Ford Coppola's "Metropolis" - this is the second time that the 82-year-old Coppola won the award after "The Wiretaker" and "Apocalypse Now" After winning the Palme d'Or, he returned to the Cannes main competition for the first time in 45 years. "Metropolis" stars Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and others. It is a science fiction blockbuster created by director Coppola for many years.
In addition, Hollywood's David Cronenberg wrote and directed the science fiction film "Shroud", and the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos's new film "The Good Kind", which won the Venice Golden Lion last year, was released in Italy. Famous director Paolo Sorrentino's new film "Partenope" was also shortlisted for the main competition.
The Palme d'Or is the highest award at the Cannes International Film Festival. The main competition section is full of smoke, and Chinese movie fans are most looking forward to the success of Jia Zhangke and Zhao Tao's "The Romance" in Cannes. As an internationally renowned director, Jia Zhangke's works have a unique style and are deeply loved by international film festivals. As the resident heroine of Jia Zhangke's films, Zhao Tao's performance style is highly consistent with the narrative style of Jia Zhangke's films, making the film's narrative closer to reality. , more convincing. Her performance in "The Merry Generation" this time is considered to be one of the key factors in the film's success.
However, the selection process for the Palme d'Or is very strict, the competition is fierce, and the selection results are often full of uncertainty - this uncertainty is precisely the charm of the film festival. Specific to the prospects of "The Merry Generation", industry insiders believe that Jia Zhangke's works often have profound social significance and artistic exploration, which is in line with the innovation and artistry promoted by the Cannes Film Festival. In addition, the story background and theme of the film are also important considerations in the selection - "The Romantic Generation" tells the story of the changes in the relationship and life of a pair of lovers amid rapid social changes. This kind of story that is close to reality and reflects the changes of the times can easily resonate with the judges and the audience. These are the advantages of this film.
However, even if it has the potential and conditions to win the Palme d'Or, it is still uncertain how likely it is to win. After all, every film shortlisted for the main competition is particularly unique and highly competitive. In addition, the jury composition and evaluation standards of the Cannes Film Festival will also affect the final award results; the professional background, aesthetic preferences and understanding of movies of the jury members will all have an impact on the selection results.
No matter what the final result is, this year’s Cannes Film Festival will be an opportunity for Chinese films to show off in a diverse way on the international stage, and a bloom of light and shadow. As artistic director Fu Mao said, this year’s Cannes is the real return of Chinese films since the epidemic. of one term.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Xiao Yang
