Chinese Portrait
我的镜头
Directed byWang Xiaoshuai
Produced byIsabelle Glachant, Liu Xuan, Qian Yini
CinematographyWu Di, Zeng Jian, Zeng Hui, Ping Xinghai
Edited byLü Dong
Production
companies
Front Co Films, Chinese Shadows
Distributed byAsian Shadows, Cinema Guild
Release dates
October 12th, 2018
Running time
79 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageNone

Chinese Portrait (Simplified Chinese: 我的镜头, Pinyin: Wǒ de Jìngtóu)[1] is a 2018 documentary film directed by Wang Xiaoshuai.[2] It was shot over ten years in the urban east and the rural northwest of China.[3] It is Wang's first full-length documentary.[4]

Synopsis

Chinese Portrait is predominantly composed of a series of around 60[5] portraits shot in video and film. They feature long shots of people standing motionless while life goes on around them. Subjects include train passengers, farmers, students, factory workers, tourists, and construction workers in both urban and rural areas of China;[6] Wang appears in many shots.[7] The film has no dialogue.[6] Through these portraits, Wang aimed to give an authentic portrait of different aspects of China and portray the rapid change in Chinese society.[8]

Production

Chinese Portrait was filmed over seven years, starting in 2009,[8] in a variety of location in eastern and northwestern China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Ningxia, and Qinghai.[3] It was directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, produced by Isabelle Glachant and Xuan Liu, and executive produced by Qian Yini, with cinematography by Wu Di, Zeng Hui, Zeng Jian, and Piao Xinghai, sound mixing by Mikaël Barre,[9] and editing and sound design by Valerie Loiseleux.[6] It was produced by Front Films Co and Chinese Shadows, with distribution by Asian Shadows internationally[9] and Cinema Guild in the United States.[10]

Release

Chinese Portrait was initially released on October 12, 2018 at the Busan International Film Festival.[8] It premiered in the United States on December 13, 2020 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.[11]

Reception

Chinese Portrait has generally been received positively by critics, holding a rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes[12] and 81 on Metacritic.[13] Writing for RogerEbert.com, Scout Tafoya said that the film represents Wang's view of China, fitting well within his filmography while also stunning on its own.[5] In The Hollywood Reporter, Clarence Tsui called Chinese Portrait a "powerful, panoramic survey of a society in transformation," and said it was key to understanding both Wang and the Sixth Generation's outlook on China.[3] However, G. Allen Johnson, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, criticized the film as being more of an art installation than a movie, and called it "art house arrogance run amok."[14]

References

  1. ↑ Kenigsberg, Ben (2019-12-13). "王小帅新作《我的镜头》：一张现代中国的快照". 纽约时报中文网 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  2. ↑ Crust, Kevin (2019-12-19). "Review: The subjects of 'Chinese Portrait' demand your attention". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  3. 1 2 3 Reynaud, Berenice (2019-12-23). "'Chinese Portrait': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  4. ↑ "MIFF Archive". MIFF 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  5. 1 2 Tafoya, Scout. "Chinese Portrait movie review (2019) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  6. 1 2 3 Chinese Portrait, Oberon Amsterdam, retrieved 2020-11-01
  7. ↑ Gelzer-Govatos, Asher (2019-03-04). "Chinese Portrait". Fuller Studio. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  8. 1 2 3 Tsui, Clarence (2018-10-12). "China's changing landscape subject of documentary at Busan festival". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  9. 1 2 "Chinese Portrait". Chinese Shadows (in French). Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  10. ↑ Frater, Patrick (2019-02-28). "Wang Xiaoshuai's 'Chinese Portrait' Snapped for U.S. Release". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  11. ↑ Zeng, Chen (2019-12-02). "December Screenings of Chinese-Language Films in NYC and Los Angeles". China Film Insider. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  12. ↑ "Chinese Portrait". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  13. ↑ "Chinese Portrait Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  14. ↑ Johnson, G. Allen (January 30, 2020). "Review: 'Chinese Portrait' is art house arrogance run amok". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
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