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The premiere of the film Country Far Away directed by Gan Xiao'er took place on 16 June at the Chen Clan Academy in Guangzhou. Strongly humanistic, this Cantonese film is one of the few ancient architecture theme films in China.
By using mortise and tenon joints, the quintessence of traditional ancient architectural culture, the film compares the relationships between tradition and modernity, east and west, man and family and society. Through solid lens language, the emotions connected with architecture and the deep expression of cultural inheritance are presented delicately, aiming to guide audiences to reflect on the disappearing traditional culture and humanistic relations.
Most of the film crew are teachers and students from SCNU. Gan Xiao’er, the film director, is vice chairman of the Guangdong Film Association, dean and associate professor of digital media art at the School of Fine Arts, SCNU. The producer, screenwriter, director of photography, production designer and original music of this film all had the participation of students from South China Normal University. Even the touching letter that pushed the plot to the climax at the end of the film was written by a graduate student. The teachers and students gathered and dispersed four times, they traveled more than 2,000 kilometers to shoot the film which took nearly two years, and finally lived up to the expectations of the audience.
The film team shot scenes in SCNU.
Country Far Away has received various good reviews at home and abroad. In September 2017, it was selected for the 26th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival for Chinese New Films. In December 2017, it was nominated for the Best Motion Picture, the Best Screenplay, the Best Actor and the Best Score at the First Marianas International Film Festival. Leading actor Ma Yue finally won the Best Actor Award.
Ma Yue(second from right) won the Best Actor Award
The film is now being shown in cinemas nationwide. Welcome to the cinema and open a letter from a beloved father.
Written by Jiang Xiaohua
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Reviewed by Li Jianru
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