With the Chinese economy in boom times it seems as though there has been an influx of quality independent film exports coming from the thriving country. Chinese filmmakers are fearlessly tackling difficult issues within the often turbulent and troublesome codes imposed by the communist government of China. Throughout 2007 it seemed that despite the barrage of Chinese films hitting English language countries the biggest news coming from the Chinese cinemas was frequently surrounding the film censors: their decision to cut out the scenes with Chow Yun Fat from the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, their decision to not allow Rush Hour 3 be one of their few cinematic imports despite the immense popularity of Jackie Chan, and most recently their decision to not allow The Forbidden Kingdom in Chinese theaters, despite it being filmed in China and the appeal of it being Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s first film together.

Aside from all of this to do over the Chinese censors, and the difficulty Hong Kong directors are having filming in mainland China, a new filmmaker has popped up and is sure to be one of the stars of a new generation of Chinese filmmakers. Yu Li is quickly becoming one of China’s most intriguing and artful filmmaker. Making headlines this past year as she went through a “painful” process to get her most recent film exported to the Berlin International Film Festival. Lost in Beijing, was a beautiful piece of art, winning awards at festivals all over the world (read the review here).

This week Yu Li’s 2005 film, Dam Street, is getting a formal DVD release in the US and Britain through First Run Features and the Global Film Initiative. Anyone who saw Lost in Beijing won’t be disappointed in Dam Street. The film is the story of a young girl, living in 1980s China, under strict moral codes that bind the community. She becomes pregnant and is subsequently thrown out of school. With her family (just her mother and herself) ostracized from the community, she is forced to give up the child, which she is later told died during birth. Ten years later she is working as a singer in a local song and dance troupe that is trying to perform traditional Chinese songs (which meet considerable resistance as most patrons seem to prefer more contemporary “popular” music). She meets a ten-year-old boy who falls in love with her and tries to protect her from the critical eyes of the community.

Dam Street is a bold film. Beautifully rendered with sweeping cinematography and lush colors, much in the style of Zhang Yimou. The film begs the question of where community ends and the individual begins. By sexualizing the acts of Yun (Liu Yi), the main character, she begins to pry into the roots of the moral code enforced by the government and accepted by the community. It tears Yun apart, yet she internalizes her torment, and takes on others pain as well. She finds it within her, throughout the film, to do what is best for that abstract concept of community – which she never fully realizes the benefits of. All the while maintaining an oddly western sense of independence, in which she refuses to marry or to penalize others who unknowingly helped her through her youth, despite the ultimate pain it brings to her. This quiet meditation on sexuality and community crosses borders, becomes important on separate plains. It provides insight into the turbulent changes rocking Chinese culture and seems to ask more human questions about the responsibility of the individual to the community on inverted terms. It is provocative, shocking, and, despite it’s oddness, painfully real.

Yu Li’s films have grabbed me over and over. Well, I guess only three times, since she’s only made three narrative features. Nonetheless, she is a filmmaker to watch. One who is testing the limits of what can be made in the mainland, utilizing non-actors to create a sense of realism that harkens back to Italy in the 40s and 50s (up until Lost in Beijing, which includes many stars of the Chinese cinema). Yu Li is making powerful, personal films, in a way that makes you realize that the personal film of the 60s and 70s in America has all but disappeared on these terms.

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April 23rd 2008 @ 00:40

Posted By: Dustin - Category: No Category

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1. May 1st 2008 @ 00:21. Cibbuano Says:

wow - this sounds excellent... I'll try to get my hands on it.

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