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Cosplay ( SHENG Zhimin ); UPCOMING 2011 RELEASE
Topic Started: Sep 2 2010, 05:18 AM (305 Views)
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Black Belt 10th Dan
INTRODUCTION
The story of a spoiled boy suddenly burdened with responsibilities, Cosplay is
adapted from a novel by the great Italian absurdist writer, Luigi PIRANDELLO.
But rather than conclude, as PIRANDELLO’s novel did, with a suicide, director
SHENG Zhimin is determined to find the strength inside his main character and
bring him to a different ending.

SYNOPSIS
Xiaoyu’s mother is a mysterious woman, always surrounded by dignitaries and
wealthy men. Xiaoyu accepts that this is his mother’s life, never questioning it,
but he hates Beijing, where they live. To him it’s just another boring city, same
as every other boring city. His mother arranges a posh private boarding school
for him and then she takes off to some other international location. Xiaoyu is
used to it by now.

Xiaoyu starts his new life at boarding school and soon meets two people
who will become his closest friends: Xiaoran, who is also a student, and his
diving coach. Xiaoyu is a swimmer, and he knows he’s gay, but he keeps this
hidden from everyone else. At night, he sneaks out to gay bars to hook up
with random men. But at school, he splits his time between Xiaoran and his
coach. He likes the bright, sunny disposition of Xiaoran, but he also enjoys the
physical, athletic relationship he has with his coach. Xiaoran is straight but he
develops a platonic crush on Xiaoyu, completely unaware of the fact that his
friend is gay.

Several months later, Xiaoyu learns that his mother has died overseas, leaving
nothing behind for him but a box of ashes and a newborn baby brother. He
drops out of school, at the same time that his friend, Xiaoran, transfers to
another school, too. A new stage in his life has begun.
The police begin harassing Xiaoyu, trying to shake him down to get information
about all the important men who surrounded his mother, and so police
intimidation becomes a constant part of his life. His next-door neighbor was
involved in a suicide and she gets trapped at home as well. She sees Xiaoyu’s
little brother and volunteers to take care of him, and Xiaoyu accepts her
kindness. And so, a motley family of three is formed.

Suffering non-stop questioning from the police, Xiaoyu loses all his dignity
and even thinks of killing himself and his little brother, but he knows that his
cowardice would disappoint everyone. But he has to do something to get his
normal life back, and so he finally decides to find the baby’s real father and
give his little brother up.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
This film is based on a story by Luigi PIRANDELLO, but in
the original novel the main character chose suicide. In this
adaptation, I want him to choose compromise. I want him
to choose a way to live that lets him survive.
Whenever I see Beijing with its bright lights and all those
smiling faces full of simple happiness I feel pessimistic.
There are no rules or restrictions on our behavior these
days, but I believe we have paid a terrible price for this
freedom. This high-speed development has brought on
a kind of madness. Human nature is warm and strong at
heart, even though many people perceive those qualities as
a weakness. I cannot believe that we have lost this part of
who we are. Only human nature can conquer the madness
of modernity and this film is my way of encouraging people
to stay strong no matter how crazy the world becomes.

DIRECTOR
SHENG Zhimin was born in Beijing in 1969. He graduated
from the Beijing Radio & Television University in 1992
and began his career in 1997 as an assistant director on
ZHANG Yang’s Spicy Love Soup, and as line producer for
Fruit CHAN’s films including Public Toilet, Durian, Durian
and The Longest Summer, as well as for JIA Zhang﹣ke’s
Platform. He made his directorial debut in 2002 with the
video feature Two Hearts, which was selected to participate
in the Berlinale Forum in 2003. Bliss, his first 35mm
feature film, won the NETPAC Award at the 59th Locarno
International Film Festival and the Asian New Talent Prize
for Best Feature Film at the 11th Shanghai International
Film Festival. Bliss was also selected for the 31st Toronto
International Film Festival and the 11th Pusan International
Film Festival. French documentary Chine, L’empire de l’art?
in 2009 was his latest effort.

PRODUCERS
Olivier MILLE is a producer and film director born in
1957. He taught cinema studies and literature at the
University of Basel, Switzerland, for seven years before
founding the production company Artlinefilms in 1987.
Since then, he has continued to be a film director as well
as a film producer, directing over 20 documentaries and
producing over 150 films in collaboration with major French
broadcasters like TF1, France 2, France 3, ARTE and Canal+.
He has been a member of several film commissions and
served on many film festival juries. He was vice-president
of USPA (Union of Television Producers), and in 2007/08
was president of PROCIREP (Cinema and Television
Producers Association). In 2009, he became president of
the FIPA (International Festival of Audiovisual Programs) in
Biarritz, France.

Fruit CHAN was born in Guangdong Province, China, in
1959, he began his film career in 1982 as an assistant
director to Terence TONG, Alfred CHEUNG and Kirk
WONG. After joining Golden Harvest in 1984, he held
various posts — assistant director, line producer and
production manager — on several productions starring
Jackie CHAN and Sammo HUNG. He went on to make
his mark as an independent writer-director-producer with
Made in Hong Kong. Over the years, his films have won
numerous awards at international film festivals in Venice,
Locarno and Gijon. Hollywood Hong Kong won him best
director at the 39th Golden Horse Awards. In 1999, he was
named Artist of the Year by the Hong Kong Artists’ Guild.
http://www.haf.asia/haf
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