Film producer Lola returns to Yunnan for the first time since finishing her award-winning film Two Great Sheep (Haoda Yiduiyang) in 2004. This time she's rallying ten young female directors round to shoot ten films for the Yunnan New Film Project.
"Women are more delicate, sensitive and tolerant," says Lola. "That is compatible with the temperament of Yunnan. I think their films will reflect a beautiful, mysterious and fascinating place."
The ten chosen directors also show amazing promise. Some, such as Yanyan Mak (Butterfly), Xiao Jiang (Electric Shadow), Li Hong (Curse) and Ismene Ting (Come Dance with Me) have already experienced international acclaim. First-time directors Yin Lichuan (a poet), Yu Jiangying (a composer), Cao Fei (a visual artist), Ismene Ting (a stage actress and director) and Li Guang (Zhang Yimou's assistant for Happy Times and Not One Less), despite their fledging directing status, all have successful artistic endeavors behind them.
The shooting will be done on location throughout Yunnan province, encompassing Kunming, Lijiang, Shangri-La and Lugu lake. The directors can choose their preferred genre, be it comedy, thriller, musical or documentary, and can focus on any number of themes, such as romance, friendship, family, and history.
Through their combined efforts, the film project is going smoothly. The first film to come out of the project is Wang Fen's The Case(Xiangzi), which recently wrapped up production in the ancient town of Lijiang last month. A tense thriller, The Case tells the story of the emotional challenges and family difficulties that a man must face. The two leads are played by Wu Gang and Wu Yujuan (Missing Gun).
The second film of the series, Yin Lichuan's Chinese Father(Gongyuan), is now well into production. Set in the city of Kunming, Yin plans to delve into the concerns of the emotional relationship between a father and a daughter. Yunnan native Li Jia, the leading actress in Nuan, co-stars in Chinese Father with Wang Deshun, a famed stage drama actor.
Lola feels their team is like a heavily pregnant mother. "All the movies are directed by women, but that doesn't mean the story is told only from a woman's perspective. I wish them to be the movies that most ordinary audiences expect to see, with a good story, beautiful pictures and pleasant music."
