The 58th Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious
international celluloid extravaganzas for both filmmakers and fans
alike, opened today in France. A total of 21 films are competing
for the Best Picture award, or Palme d'Or. The festival runs until
May 22.
Among the contestants for the main event, or the "In
Competition" category, are three Chinese films: Shanghai
Dreams by mainland director, Wang Xiaoshuai; The Best of Our
Times by veteran Taiwanese director, Hou Hsiao-Hsien; and
gangster flick, Election, by Hong Kong's Johnny To.
This isn't the first time that a Wang Xiaoshuai's film will see
the light of day in Cannes. In 1999 and 2003 respectively, Wang
brought his films So Close to Paradise and Drifters
into the Un Certain Regard category. Wang also captured the world's
attention when he won the Silver Bear award at the Berlin Film
Festival in 2001 for Beijing Bicycle.
Shanghai Dreams, a story set in the 1980s about the life
of a migrant family and a girl's puppy love is Wang's seventh
feature film.
More significant, it is the first of his movies to have made it
past the censors at the State Administration of Radio, Film and
Television. The movie is being prepped for general release in
Chinese cinemas.
Speaking with the Chinese media, Wang said that he was happy to
have been given the chance to compete, although he has no real
expectation of winning.
Commenting on the fact that three Chinese films are on this
year's competition roster, Wang noted this isn't a peculiar
situation. In 2000, for example, three Chinese films were in
the running for the Palme d'Or, namely Wong Kar-Wai's In the
Mood for Love, Edward Yang's A One and A Two and
Jiang Wen's Devils on the Doorstep.
Other Asian films competing for the big prize are A Tale of
the Cinema (South Korea), directed by Hong Sang-Soo, and
Bashing (Japan), a film by Japanese director, Kobayashi
Masahiro.
Director, Emir Kusturica, from Serbia-Montenegro is president of
this year's judging panel. Other members include: John Woo
(Director, China), Toni Morrison (Writer, USA), Nandita Das
(Actress, India), Salma Hayek (Actress, Mexico), Agnès Varda
(Director, France), Fatih Akin (Director, Germany), Javier Bardem
(Actor, Spain), and Benoît Jacquot (Director, France). Edward Yang
from Taiwan, Cannes Best Director winner with A One and A
Two, will preside over the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury,
and American director, Alexander Payne, has been appointed as the
president of the Un Certain Regard jury.
Non-competition screenings include Operetta Tanuki Goten
(Japan) directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring international
Chinese star, Zhang Ziyi. In addition, there will be first-ever
screenings of other made-in-China flicks including an 11-minute
trailer to Chen Kaige's first foray into the martial-arts genre
The Promise; Initial D by Wai Keung Lau; Seven
Swords by Tsui Hark and The Myth co-directed by kungfu
star, Jackie Chan.
Shanghai Dreams
Election
(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, May 11, 2005)
