Three Chinese movies to vie for crown at Venice
- By An Wei
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china.org.cn, August 31, 2011
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Italian actress Vittoria Puccini poses for photographers in Venice August 30.2011. [CFP] |
The 68th annual Venice Film Festival held in Venice, Italy, is scheduled to open on Aug. 31 and will last until Sept. 10. The Sala Grande, with a larger screen, more seating and a variety of new facilities, will once again be greeting its new guests.
The nomination list of this year's festival has impressed onlookers, who have regarded it as one of the most anticipated event of its kind with its selection of highly anticipated films.
Chinese films
While no Chinese films competed at the Berlin Film Festival or the Cannes International Film Festival this year, there will be three contestants for the Golden Lion.
"Life Without Principle" by Hong Kong director Johnnie To has been added to the lineup of the Venice festival.
The heist flick tells the intertwining stories of a financial analyst, a thug and a cop, whose worlds collide with the appearance of a bag of money worth $5 million.
Another veteran Hong Kong director, Ann Hui, will vie for the crown with the film "A Simple Life."
The tearjerker is based on a true story about the film's producer Roger Lee and a family servant who took care of him for over 60 years.
Taiwan director Wei Te-sheng joins fray with an ambitious work titled "Seediq Bale." The 135-minute film depicts Taiwan aboriginal Seediq's fight against the Japanese rulers in 1930.
International kungfu star Jet Li's new film, "The Sorcerer and the White Snake," directed by Tony Ching Siu-Tung, will premiere at the festival. Although it will not be part of the competition, many are waiting to see how the festival audiences will respond to the fantasy action film based on a Chinese folk tale.
Star-studded
Stars and directors are always the highlight of the film festival, so it is fitting that George Clooney – talented and credited in both – should open the show with the premiere of his new film "The Ides of March." The movie also stars Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who would be among the red carpet highlights.
"Carnage" is a black-comedy drama film written and directed by Roman Polanski. Starring Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster, the movie is already being called a favorite for next year's Oscars.
Colin Firth, who won the leading actor's award at last year's Oscars will star in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," directed by Tomas Alfredson.
Other hot topics are sure to buzz during the event, such as Madonna's directorial debut with "W.E." and Steven Soderbergh's ambitious project, "Contagion."
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