Underplayed Gems

Jingzhe (2004)

Jingzhe poster
Original title
惊蛰
Directed by
Wang Quan'an
Genre
drama film
Country
People's Republic of China
Runtime
1h 55m
Rating
8.0 of 10 from 1 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young woman in rural China is married off to a drunkard to help her family's finances. She tries escaping to the city and has an affair, but eventually returns to her husband, where a crisis pushes her to take charge of her own life.

poignantrestrainedeverydayunsentimentalgroundedreflectiveslightly melancholic

What happens

Jingzhe is a 2004 Chinese film directed by Wang Quan'an. The film is Wang's second feature and sees him reuniting with actress Yu Nan. Jingzhe is also known by its original international title, The Story of Ermei. Jingzhe tells the story of Ermei (played by Yu Nan), a young villager in rural China. When Ermei's family falls on hard financial times, she is forced to marry off to an alcoholic villager so her family can collect the bride price. Unhappy in her married life, Ermei runs away to the city where she finds work at a restaurant. She has an affair with a man named Qiao but soon returns to her drunkard husband, where an emergency forces her to take initiative in her relationship. Jingzhe was screened in several international film festivals throughout 2004, including the high profile Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2004, where it was part of the "Panorama" program. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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