Chinese Indie Cinema: Best Chinese Movies to Watch
Independent cinema is a passion of mine, the formulae of the movies are different than that of the big Hollywood pictures and usually have deeper, intelligent story lines and more complicated characters. One area of indie cinema I have never explored, is Chinese cinema. China is a truly fascinating country, the socio-economic and political landscape is very different than that what I am used to; living in the West. I’ve been over there a few times and it almost feels like you are in a parallel universe and the culture of the country is unlimitedly fascinating. You will likely hear that China is strict on censorship, so what does that mean for Chinese art and film-making?
In order to find the hidden Gems of China Indie Cinema, I looked through all of the entrants for the major International Film festivals over the last 10–20 years. This would involve, searching “Cannes Festival Winners (2018)…(2017)…(2016)” etc etc or “Paris Film Festival winners…XYZ”. Then looking on the Wikipedia pages and finding entrants from China. I would then search the titles of the films and pick out the ones with the highest ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (I find Rotten Tomatoes is more accurate in their ratings than IMDb). Then I gave the most interesting ones a watch! You can rent most of them for around £3 online. Below are my top picks. I’ll start with the ones that will perhaps have the most wide-spread appeal, then get into the ones that are way high on the edgy scale; from my point of view - I prefer the edgier ones.
So Long My Son, Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai
This one is a real tear jerker, a story about a family suffering from a tragic loss. The story spans the course of 30 years, starting in a heavily industrialized Chinese town, with the one-child-policy enforced. It’s a story about deep friendships and strong community ties which dissolve over time as China develops and shifts. As well as the isolation a sort of stubbornness can bring. A great story set across multiple stages of Chinese development, exploring human connection and pain. Silver Bear Winner at Berlin Film Festival.
Shadow, Directed by Zhang Yimou
Ok, so this one isn’t so indie but seen it recently so wanted to put in. When you think of Chinese cinema, you’ll probably think of Kung Fu or blade battles in ancient times. Shadow delivers on that kind of style. Stunning cinematography and battle choreography, as good as it gets. The story is about a young emperor who has his doubters and is struggling to maintain his power. Intelligent, twisty and strategic with some adrenaline pumping fights in the mix. Directed by Zhang Yimou who also directed House of Flying Daggers and Hero.
Ash is Purest White, Directed by Jia Zhangke
My my my, what an incredible film this is! It is right up there. On the face of it, it looks like another one of those gangster movies. But it goes much deeper than that, it is more of a love story with themes of great sacrifice, loyalty and suffering. How far would you go to stand by the side of the person that means the most to you? How do you face the guilt of wronging them? The story starts with a young couple, the man is a leader of the local triads in a rundown rural town, the woman acts a bit like his side-kick or counsel without getting into the violent side of business. An event happens early in the film which causes them to be separated for a very long time and creates great change within themselves. It’s almost like a film within a film. Many years pass and the story then shifts towards their re-union and how their lives and the world around them has changed dramatically. What an incredible performance by Zhao Tao, the female lead.
A Touch of Sin, Directed by Jia Zhangke
Another great by Jia Zhangke! This is 6 short films rolled into one with the first and last being connected. It covers off stories of corruption and larceny, the Chinese sex-work industry, unemployment, crime and extra-marital affairs. Set across a remote coal mine town, textile factories, big cities, hostess clubs and dodgy spas. Action packed, tones of the realism style and the real shock factor. Each story is apparently based on real events in China. This film was released in 2013 but was still censored from mainline Chinese audiences, it is unclear from reports whether it remained censored or whether it was eventually released in China.
Mountains May Depart, Directed by Jia Zhangke
Another one by Zhangke, he is a master. Also starring Zhao Tao again from Ash is purest white. I later found out that Zhao Tao is Zhangke’s wife. She puts in another incredible performance. This is a very unique film, unlike any film I’ve seen before. The opening to it is hilarious…it’s a Chinese New Year celebration in the 90’s, with everybody dancing around holding onto each other to the tune of Go West, by The Pet Shop Boys. The story begins in a run-down rural town, 3 strong friends and a love triangle. The woman must choose between her head and her heart. One of my favorite scenes of this, when a real sweaty guy in a suit is blowing off some steam in a dance club, against some blaring techno music; throwing some incredible shapes. The story then jumps ahead 15 years to show how both lives panned out, in the back-drop of great economic development in China. Outlining what this meant for the lives of the friends and how their life trajectories were impacted. The film then skips ahead once again to a vision of a future, set in Australia at this stage, showing how family dynamics have changed due to globalisation and how this affects a person’s sense of self-identity.
An Elephant Sitting Still, Directed by Hu Bu
I’ve saved the most interesting film to the last. A truly remarkable piece of work, maybe not a film you will want to see again. There is an air of hopelessness throughout and a very strong style of realism. It’s an adaptation of a novel by Hu Bu, he was determined to direct it himself. Hu Bu would later go on to commit suicide October 2017, not long after the film was complete. Which is a very interesting story in itself. Each characters lives in the film become entwined with one another’s, but at the same time there is no real connection or bond between any of them. Set in a very remote and empty feeling city, Manzhouli, the story mainly tracks an innocent schoolboy who is one the run from one of the local gang members. It paints a picture of a truly depressing world. The film is 4 hours long, it won’t be for everyone but I thought it was a great experience, very worthwhile. Multiple awards at Berlin Film Festival
Overall I am very glad I took the time to watch these films and dabble in Chinese cinema. Extraordinarily unique stories which take you on a journey through unexplored roads into places that you didn’t know existed.
