Culture
19:45, 28-Aug-2017
More China screenings for acclaimed co-production by big-name BRICS filmmakers
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After winning the Artistic Merit Award at the second BRICS Film Festival in Chengdu two months ago, "Where Has Time Gone", a co-production by directors from the five BRICS countries, will be shown to the public at the upcoming summit in September.
The 110-minute film, consisting of five short stories, depicts from different perspectives how human sentiments can mellow with time. It is a joint effort by Brazilian director and producer Walter Salles, Russian filmmaker Aleksey Fedorchenko, India's Madhur Bhandarkar, Jahmil XT Qubeka from South Africa, and Chinese director and screenwriter Jia Zhangke.
Chinese director Jia Zhangke gives a speech at the world premiere of “Where Has Time Gone” in Chengdu on June 23, 2017. /CFP Photo
Chinese director Jia Zhangke gives a speech at the world premiere of “Where Has Time Gone” in Chengdu on June 23, 2017. /CFP Photo
"We have been searching for a common theme that could touch the audience of every nation of BRICS, something that would resonate. That's how we came up with the idea of 'Where Has Time Gone'," said Jia.
In the part "When the Earth Trembles", Salles depicts the tension and brilliance in the reconstruction of people's homelands after catastrophes, and probes the possibilities of new life amid nostalgia.
In "Breathing", Fedorchenko explores the quiet healing power of love in the seclusion of mountains. Bhandarkar portrays a touching bond between an elderly man and an orphan in "Mumbai Mist".
In "Revive", Jia explores concerns about second births in China after the one-child policy was ended, while Qubeka, in "Stillborn", explores the virtual world, where a woman robot programmed to be a janitor decides to learn about and question her human origin.
The five directors of “Where Has Time Gone” pose for a picture at the world premiere in Chengdu on June 23, 2017. /CFP Photo
The five directors of “Where Has Time Gone” pose for a picture at the world premiere in Chengdu on June 23, 2017. /CFP Photo
All the narrations seek to relive common experiences even in stories taking place thousands of miles apart. The goal is to find a universal theme of understanding, especially shared by people living in burgeoning and fast-changing BRICS countries.
"Through culture, we can break so many barriers. I think culture and the arts just take us into a space of understanding," said Qubeka.
"Where Has Time Gone" will be more extensively released in China in September.
The ninth BRICS Summit is scheduled for September 3 to 5 in Xiamen of east China's Fujian Province.