Guan Hu's win in the Un certain Regard section at Cannes this year with Black Dog has hit the headlines – and deservedly so.
One of the true stars of the sixth generation of Chinese directors who emerged in the early 1990s, the 56-year-old Hu has, over the past three decades, found a sweet spot that allows him to balance a career making commercial films that ensure his financial survival , like the chest-thumping war epic The nineteenth centuryand much more edgy and personal films that satisfy his creative impulses.
Black Dog was a case of the latter, with dark humor framing the gritty story of an ex-con returning to his rural hometown to start his life over. Gu's win continued a tradition that dates back to the 1990s and has since seen the Sixth Generation dominate international festivals – and awards – thanks in part to the likes of 50-year-olds Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai and Diao Yinan.
But 2024 has shown that perhaps times are about to change. Over the past year, a new generation of smaller artists from China has emerged on the festival circuit, part of a growing trend among young filmmakers that sees them making decidedly personal films about contemporary life in the country.
Jiang Xiaoxuan's first feature film, To kill a Mongolian horsepresented as a world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Film Festival. The film graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts has returned to her homeland of Inner Mongolia to tell a story that revolves around a local knight (played by first-time actress Saina) who is torn between giving his life to contemporary society and its economic opportunities. – or stick to life traditions passed down from generation to generation.
“This film is a true, perhaps sad, love letter to my homeland and the documentation of an important transition in my friend's life,” explains the director, referring to her lead actor. “Being able to bring this story to the world and to audiences interested in these stories gives me immense hope. For me, reinventing and reconstructing a story that mirrors reality in many ways gives me and my generation a chance to look back on the path we are currently on and will potentially give us the chance to shape our future.”
Jiang won the Under 40 Author Award for best director and screenplay in Venice, and is nominated for best director and best film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on November 30.
Beijing-based producer Annie Song participated in this year's CHANEL She was named co-winner of the initiative's most promising director award after producing four of the eight short films the students were asked to make.
Before that, the song was produced Frankenfish near the river it had its world premiere in July at the FIRST International Film Festival – China's leading platform for young independent filmmakers – in the central Chinese city of Xining. Directed by star Chen Yusha, the film follows a young woman dealing with heartbreak and the growing demands of adulthood.
“I believe the Chinese film industry has reached a turning point,” he says. “An increasing number of young directors from diverse backgrounds are emerging and the industry is starting to recognize their potential. More funding forums and market events are being held to create opportunities and platforms where young filmmakers can showcase their projects and where production companies can connect with them.”
Frankenfish near the river was among a slew of coming-of-age films that were highlights of this year's FIFF — and Song believes these often personal stories are a growing trend — that she says has its roots in the pandemic era.
“The COVID-19 experience has encouraged this generation to reflect and focus on their own stories, leading to the creation of new ideas,” he says. “As a result, more low-budget, high-quality films are being made. Diversity is reflected not only in content but also in cinematic styles, with young filmmakers boldly experimenting and creating their own unique approaches to challenge and innovate.”
Debut director Zhang Xuyu was also in Busan and FIFF, and in his coming-of-age drama Fish bone it had its world premiere at the Shanghai Film Festival in June. The film follows a young woman trying to make her way in the world after failing her college entrance exam. It proved popular with audiences in Busan, where it was screened in the special Teen Spirit, Teen Movie section.
Zhang believes the Korean public has recognized the themes of generational clashes within families and the unique pressures felt by college entrance exams held in South Korea and China.
“I think Chinese audiences have enthusiasm and a strong interest in stories that depict contemporary Chinese life,” says Zhang. “After experiencing rapid development in recent decades, Chinese society has entered a new phase. Audiences are also eager for films to bring stories directly related to their current lives into this new phase. In recent years, films with realistic themes have been very popular in the mainstream Chinese market.”
Like Zhang and Song, director Qiu Yang drew on his own experiences for his first feature film, Some rain must fallwhich tells the story of a mother whose seemingly perfect life is thrown into chaos when she inadvertently hurts the grandmother of one of her daughter's friends. It won the special jury prize in the Horizons section at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
“I remember audiences were curious as to why a male director would want to tell the story of an unhappy middle-aged housewife, to whom I told her that she was more or less inspired by my mother,” Qiu says.
But with Rain, Mongolian horse AND Fish bone Everyone is waiting for a domestic release, Qiu, for example, is not convinced that the festival's praise will bring box office success at home.
“I'm not too sure,” he says. “As far as less sexy films, which are about ordinary people in their ordinary lives, I think people, both domestically and internationally, are less interested in them.”
In any case, Jiang hopes that new Chinese directors will continue to expand their horizons.
“I hope for the best,” he says. “I hope that a younger generation redefines the current cinematic landscapes and is bold, open and willing to adapt.”