Dwelling by the West Lake Directed by Gu Xiaogang and Starring Wu Lei and Jiang Qinqin Shortlisted in TIFF with International Poster of “Chinese Landscape”
On September 27, the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) announced that Chinese director Gu Xiaogang's feature-length film Dwelling by the West Lake was selected for the Competition Section. The film is jointly created by Chen Jianbin as art director, Chen Caiyun as chief producer, and Mei Linmao as music composer, and stars Wu Lei, Jiang Qinqin, Chen Jianbin, and Wang Jiajia. A theme poster of "Chinese Landscape Edition” was also released with the film.
Poster of Dwelling by the West Lake
Designed by Huang Hai, the poster is inscribed by Xu Jing, a famous calligrapher, with the theme of “Chinese Landscape Edition” and the stills of the characters Mu Lian (by Wu Lei) and Tai Hua (by Jiang Qinqin). The image of the poster was taken from a scene in the film, filled with profound Zen-like artistic conception.
The film is centered on emotional connection of a family, overlaid with elements of crime, as an attempt to translate the Chinese legend Mulian Rescues His Mother in the context of social realism.
Dwelling by the West Lake is the Volume II of Gu Xiaogang’s film project – “Mountain · Water” following the Volume I Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, a perfect interpretation of Chinese aesthetics. From the “vibrant” Fuchun Mountains to the “vigorous” West Lake, Gu Xiaogang tries to show us a unique scroll of Chinese landscape filled with tenderness, passion, tranquility, and bustle.
Stills of Wu Lei and Jiang Qinqin in Dwelling by the West Lake
It is learnt that the Dwelling by the West Lake will have its world premiere amid TIFF on October 28. On October 30, director Gu Xiaogang, a fresh winner of Kurosawa Akira Award at the 36th TIFF as the youngest recipient, will have a post-screening conversation with the 92-year-old Asian director Yoji Yamada about this film.
Panelists the post-screening conversation
Several Chinese language films included in the Competition and Gala Selection of the 36th TIFF will also be screened. They are Full River Red directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Shen Teng and Jackson Yee, The Movie Emperor directed by Ning Hao and starring Andy Lau, A Long Shot directed by Gao Peng and starring Zu Feng and Qin Hailu, All Ears directed by Liu Jiayin and starring Hu Ge and Wu Lei, May directed by Luo Dong and starring Chen Yumei, Love Is A Gun directed by and starring Lee Hong-Chi, and Snow Leopard, directed by the Pema Tseden (1969-2023).
Shortlists in the Competition of the 36th TIFF
