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Profile
- Movie: Knitting / 牛郎织女 (2008)
- Aka : Knitting 牛郎织女 , Niu lang zhi nu , Cowheard and the Weaver Girl
- Director: Yin Lichuan (尹丽川)
- Producer: Vivian Qu
- Writer: Yin Lichuan (尹丽川)
- Cinematographer : Liu Yonghong
- Original Music : Zhang Weiwei
- Release Date : November 26 , 2008
- Runtime :
- Genre : Drama
- Distributor: Rezo Films International
- Language: Mandarin
- Country: China
Synopsis
(TIFF 2008 Archive)
The celestial love between Zhi Nu, the immortal Weaving Maiden, and
Niu Lang, the poor Cowherd, has shaped the dreams of generations of
Chinese. In the sophomore work of filmmaker and poet Yin Lichuan, the
myth – which is tied to Chinese Valentine’s Day – reverberates with
nostalgia in an earthy yet gentle tale of a ménage à trois.
An unusual blend of classic drama and soap opera, Knitting‘s
luminous strokes depict three stories of migrant youth, friendship,
love, hate and survival set against the erosion of life in the outskirts
of a Chinese megalopolis. Li Daping (Zhang Yi) is an introverted
northern girl. With no particular skills and an obstinate love for Chen
Jin (Lu Yulai),
she sells tickets to the passengers of the minivan Chen drives around
the dusty, sweaty streets of their southern city. Life does not seem to
have much in store for Daping, but the moments of tenderness and sex
stolen on the dirty roads of her daily routine are more than enough to
satisfy her. Quiet, contented simplicity fills the small place she
shares with Chen.
One day, however, trouble walks into Daping’s life clad in a
miniskirt and high heels. With red lips and cheap shades, Zhang Haili (Yan Bingyan)
materializes out of Chen’s dubious past. A former girlfriend of his,
Haili storms into the couple’s residence like a tornado of confusion,
upending both their home and Chen’s life. She pushes Chen into a series
of shady deals and scams and sidelines Daping in her own home. In the
wake of Haili’s tornado, Daping is shoved into a corner – still in love
with Chen, pregnant and silently knitting.
Captivating and charming, Knitting is endowed with sharp
minimalism and originality. The characters in this unconventional moral
saga are painted in light touches against the harshness of the social
and visual background, powerfully symbolizing the fluctuating world at
the margins of China’s economic revolution. Incisive yet compassionate,
Yin’s gaze settles with imperceptible elegance on the faults and
generosity of their personalities, thus rendering a crystalline image of
an atypical, modern Chinese family. (Credit : Giovanna Fulvi , Toronto International Film Festival 2008 Canada)
Stars
- Zhang Yi (张一)
- Yan Bingyan (颜丙燕)
- Lu Yulai (吕聿来)
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