Chinese Film Festival to begin soon

The Chinese Embassy in Nepal, in association with World Cultural Net, is organising the 11th Chinese Film Festival, an annual affair that showcases some of the Chinese film industry’s best movies to Nepali audiences.
This year’s festival is set to take place at the Kumari Hall, Kamalpokhari, and will begin on August 6. The three-day event will
commence with the screening of Under the Hawthorn Tree, a 115-minute film by Zhang Yimou set in Hubei Province’s Yichang City towards the end of China’s Cultural Revolution. The film is as much a commentary on class structure as it is on love. A young boy and girl from the village face numerous obstacles in their pursuit to be with one another because of their varied social backgrounds. The film secured second place at the Udine Far East Film Festival’s ‘audience award’ category in 2011.
Dipak Sarkar, president of the Chinese Information Centre says that the main aim of the festival is to “facilitate cultural exchange between Nepal and China.” All films to be screened are critically acclaimed features that have been screened at various international film festivals around the world.
The second and final days of the festival will witness the screening of four films; one on each day. Kora, an 89-minute film by Jiayi Du, which won an award for ‘best artistic contribution’ award at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2011 will be screened on the second day of the festival, followed by Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame, a film by Hark Tsui that won a number of awards at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. The Monkey King (Cheang Pou-Sui) and Colour Me Love (Alexi Tan) will be screened on its final day.
The festival has been co-organised by Nepal Film Development Board. Free passes will be available at World Cultural Net, Kamalpokhari, a day before the festival begins. Passes will also be available at the Kumari Hall before the film screenings.