Discoveries from China World Cinema

This is a film that celebrates the moral function of art. Sun Ma Si-tsang, at once a master Cantonese opera actor and a talented comedian, showcases an oft-overlooked style of singing, presenting it as an inspirational force that saves life and betters relationships. He plays the titled character, who doesn't operate a boat and is nowhere near bodies of water, but an artist specialising in the Dragon Boat style of music. Forced to perform on the streets to make a living, he ventures into situations manifesting the many societal problems that plague Hong Kong, inspiring and elevating common folks with his artistry. He stars alongside Leung Sing-por in a classic animation of comedy partnership, generating laughter from the interactions between players of contrasting body types.

Ryuji Otsuka and Huang Ji are the ‘main characters' in this very personal homemade documentary that's funny, angry, scary and stirring all at once. He's the Japanese director of the film; she's his wife and a prizewinning filmmaker in her own right. For independent artists and filmmakers, finding an affordable place to live with their young daughter is a never-ending struggle. A side effect of China's astonishing prosperity is sky-high property prices – about $10,000 per square metre in Beijing. The landlords, movers and neighbours they encounter seem bent on driving them nuts. But never underestimate the resilience, determination and lung power of enraged, protective young Chinese parents. Otsuka's sometimes concealed camera reveals intimately how life feels, from ground level, in urban China today.

An epic historical romance and cultural drama that spans half a century, the historical drama functions both as a character-driven love story and as a broader historical allegory for the social changes of Xinjiang

During the Anti-Japanese War Dong Yuming, a company commander of the Kuomintang, was ordered to escort a batch of anti-Japanese munitions to Nanjing, and the munitions arrived safely at their destination. Dong Yuming was awarded the "Blue Sky and White Sun" medal by his superiors. However, when he learned that it was not arms but smuggled goods that had gone through hardships, he started an investigation in order to prove his innocence. When the truth came to light, Dong Yuming faced a fateful decision...

Target is a 2014 Chinese action suspense crime film directed by Yang Jiang. It was released on October 24.

In February 1995, after many years of preparation, the modern dancer Venus finally underwent transgender surgery in Beijing. On the eve of becoming a woman, he gave an interview and talked about his determination, aspirations, and good life ideals. The operation was tortuous and painful. After the operation, my father went to the police station to change the gender on the Venus ID card. From then on, Miss Venus was born. In March 2000, Venus once again interviewed her about her many boyfriends in the five years after the operation, her happy life, and her special encounters and adventures. The film allows the audience to see a Miss Venus living in her dream.

Another classic film from Shanghai Animation Film Studio, "Saving Mother" was one of the most popular animations in China. The story is based on the traditional Chinese folklore about a boy named Chen Xiang. His mother was a goddess and his father a mortal. His uncle, Erlang Shen, punished Chen Xiang's parents because their marriage was against the rules of the heavens. Chen Xiang's mother was locked in a mountain until her son split the mountain and saved her.

Dissident artist Hu Jie has managed to make more than 30 documentaries. Films like Though I Am Gone and Searching for Lin Zhao's Soul are vital to understanding Chinese history and society. Widely recognized as the first artist to dare talk about the Great Famine, the labor camps, and the Cultural Revolution, Hu Jie is considered China's first historical documentary filmmakers.

Lin is a designer working in Thailand. She was advised to ignore the culture of Thailand. When she gets an amulet and blessing to protect her and provide good luck, it seems to just cause her more trouble.

KMT agents murder famous CCP general Li Zhao-Lin after the endorsement of armistice agreement.

A freighter was suddenly attacked by a sea monster while sailing, and the crew occupied by the parasite gradually mutated and lost humanity.

Baobao is a member of the floating population of Jinan city, he works diligently, from managing a small restaurant to running a tea house and bar. This film documents Baobao is part of the gay community of Jinan city.

A father tries to stay connected with his unconscious daughter through music. He plays a windup music box and hopes she can hear it while fighting with his own emotions to stay strong. Meanwhile, his daughter follows the melody in her dreams and looks for a way back.

There was a murder in the mental hospital, and the nurse Xiao Liu died in the patient's house.

Graduation season is here again. Faced with the stress of losing "freedom", the four handsomely riched (gaofushuai) - Qin Zheng Jan, Leng Feng, Nan Gong Jian and Zheng Hao Yu decide to find their destined lady with a game. Their encounter with different girls redefined what love and life mean to them as they advanced from adolescence to maturity. Facing their lives already decided by their parents, they no longer accept it unsaid. Instead, they dare to go after their dreams. In addition, the appearance of a unique boy named Huang Yi Fan, who came from a totally different world, influenced and changed their decisions. This is an extraordinary graduation season. This is a frenzied graduation season. This is a journey of the change in love seeking that is filled with pain and true love.

It tells the story of Xu Qian, who joins the company where her friend Lin Li Li worked in order to find out why she died mysteriously in a strange building. However, she is accidentally involved in a strange incident in the haunted building, and gradually uncovers a curse that has lasted for decades.

This film tells the story of a lost man who finds himself again. A former rock singer, twenty years later is an ordinary chauffeur driver. The passion of the past cannot be seen. Like most of his peers in reality, he is deeply trapped in the busy world.

On a gloomy day, Gu takes a train back to his hometown for the first time in years to reunite with his wife and son, in court.

In 1948, after the Northeast was liberated, enemy sabotage began. The Public Security Bureau learned that spy Li Tianmin had infiltrated the city. Bureau chief and Captain Zhang quickly deployed personnel to capture him. Li Tianmin evaded key questions during interrogation. Clues were found on a milk bottle cap delivered by a boy, who passed it to another spy, Zhou Shaomei. Under surveillance, Zhou Shaomei, fearing Li Tianmin’s capture, killed the boy to erase evidence. Intelligence personnel mobilised the masses, pressuring the hidden enemies. Many deceived individuals provided clues, ensnaring the enemies in the people’s war.

This guerrilla-style drama exposes the harsh reality of money-driven child marriages in China. The Chinese government wants to keep the subject of this film hidden, but it's undeniable that arranged marriages and bride-buying still exist in China's poorer provinces. The filmmakers witnessed these practices firsthand, through their own family members. In the film, we follow 14-year-old Hani, who dreams of marrying Pushiha. However, in the village, every bride comes with a hefty price tag. Desperate, Hani looks for ways to raise the money, even if it means committing crimes. This heartbreaking, real-life Romeo and Juliet story reflects a harsh truth.

Early life of Senior General Geng Chen of the People's Liberation Army

A young woman in the 1920s has a hard life and learns sympathy for her own mother's situation.

Both husband and wife at this well known kite family were killed by the Japanese bombers, leaving behind the grandmother and her two grand-children. The grandma threw herself into the Anti-Japanese War, starting her courageous fight against the invaders.

Pre-Cultural Revolution propaganda at its most lavish, this model opera depicts the history and evolution of the Communist Party of China under Mao Zedong from its founding in July 1921 to the establishment of "New China" in 1949. Detailed in the musical are several key events in CPC history such as the Northern Expedition, the KMT-led Shanghai massacre of 1927, the Nanchang Uprising and formation of the People's Liberation Army, the Long March and the founding of the PRC on October 1, 1949.

Guoren travels the villages, selling goods of all kinds while he hunts for the man who stole the money for his son's care. Madou, one of the many abandoned children in the villages, hides in Guoren's truck so he can look for his father. A powerful but cathartic trip through rural China with a neorealist touch and non-professional actors who add authenticity to the story, prompting spontaneous laughter despite the challenging issues involved.

The 30-year-old Xiao Ma is the lead guitarist of the "cold avoidance" band. On the stage, he is full of energy, cool and heroic, and invincible; in life, he is a smiling, sunny, and loves the Tiger New good youth. In his spare time, the Xiao Ma is not indulging in the entanglement between flesh and skin, but actively learning various knowledge. In the English tuition class, he fell in love with the beautiful tutor teacher Jiang Ting. Under the circumstances of concealing identity, Xiao Ma and Jiang Ting began to fall in love. However, there is an unspeakable secret in Xiao Ma's heart, that is, his bed wetting, which has also become the biggest obstacle in his love process ...

Romantic war story from times of Spring and Autumn Period (771-476 BC). During the Spring and Autumn period, feudal lords waged wars against each other, leaving the land in devastation and the people in misery. The states of Qi and Ju clashed near the Great Wall of Qi, triggering a brutal and bloody battle. She is a valiant princess who rides fearlessly across the battlefield; he is a spirited and formidable war hero of the enemy nation. When trust is torn apart by betrayal from those closest to them, and when conspiracies fueled by national enmity and personal vendettas sweep in, can they defy the odds and turn the tide? And can that spark of affection between them blossom into something more?

Ai Weiwei’s Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei’s mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai’s large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81 day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on January 23, 2014.

Takeuchi Ryo revisited the protagonist of the documentary many years ago and completed his ten-year promise with the Yangtze River.

Zhang Chen often dreams of an ancient woman, but at the end of his dreams he is always frightened when awakened by her fierce face. Later, he sees the place in his dreams on the Internet, so he plans to go there with his friend Wuxia to find out. On the way, they meet Lan Xi and Li Zhi who are looking for inspiration to write a horror script, so the four of them walk together. After arriving at that place, supernatural events continued to occur. With the help of Xiaoxian (the woman in Zhang Chen's dream), the four of them slowly got closer to the truth controlled by the old demon.

A "lying flat" youth exposes a loan shark, falls in love with a "super striver," and their turbulent romance overcomes various scams and financial disasters.