5 Chinese films not to be missed

Less than ten years ago, the Shanghai International Film Festival was the annual meeting par excellence for Hollywood and European negotiators determined to forge alliances and gain a foothold in China’s booming commercial cinema sector. However, in the post-pandemic era, as China’s industry continues to mature and Hollywood hype about the country’s market potential has long given way to a bleak reality, the festival has become a unique event. a little more turned inward.

This national focus is highlighted in the Shanghai event’s 2024 lineup, which features 10 Chinese films among the 25 titles in the two main sections of the international competition (and not a single American or South Korean film). For international film buffs, the Shanghai festival is now seen as an opportunity to take stock of current trends in Chinese cinema – and on this front, the lineup for the 2024 event is rich in potential.

The 26th Shanghai International Film Festival runs from June 14 to 23. Franco-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung (winner of best director at Cannes last year for The taste of things) is this year the president of the main jury of the competition. Below, The Hollywood Reporter selects five Chinese films not to be missed from the festival’s 2024 selection.

A Man and a Woman, directed by Guan Hu

Local hit director Guan Hu is undoubtedly the director of the moment at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival. Last month, the 55-year-old sixth-generation filmmaker triumphed at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the prestigious Un Certain Regard Prize with his visually stunning offbeat drama. Black Dog. Starring the wickedly cool Eddie Peng as its rebellious protagonist without a cause, Black Dog doesn’t hit theaters until Saturday in China, but Guan is already arriving in Shanghai with another completed feature. A man and a woman stars local stars Huang Bo and Ni Ni in the title roles of two strangers who land in Hong Kong on the same transfer flight during the pandemic and find themselves stuck in rooms next to each other in the same quarantine hotel. Best known for action blockbusters like Mr. Six (2015) and The eight hundred (2020), Guan makes another exciting start with A man and a womanwhile the film’s subtle story revolves around a growing bond between the main characters as they share cigarettes and conversations on the balconies of their adjoining hotel, waiting for Hong Kong’s legendary skyline to come back to life.

Do not worry Be Happydirected by Wei Shujun

Wei Shujun is the only post-1990s Chinese director to have been selected three times in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival – with his offbeat debut Walk in the wind (2020), follow-up drama The undulations of life (2021) and last year’s dark thriller Only the river flows (2023) – and it has impressed international critics with each release. The latest effort of the rising talent, Don’t do it…