Sunken Plum

Last updated • 10 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Sunken Plum
Sunken Plum International Poster (Ciruela de agua dulce, Chen Li) Dir. Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi. Poster International.jpg
Sunken Plum (Chen Li) international poster
Directed by Roberto F. Canuto
Xu Xiaoxi
Written by Roberto F. Canuto
Xu Xiaoxi
Produced byLeng Zhiwen
StarringGu Xiang
Yu Yinmeng
Tian Peng
Li Lierong
Chen Jiaqi
Yao Zhexing
Zhang Zhijiu
CinematographyGuo Yong
Edited by Roberto F. Canuto
Xu Xiaoxi
Music by Andrea Centazzo
Production
company
Almost Red Productions
Release date
  • 24 October 2017 (2017-10-24)
Running time
20 minutes
CountriesSpain
China
LanguagesMandarin
Sichuanese Dialect

Sunken Plum (Original Chinese :沉李; pinyin :Chen Li; lit.'sunken plum') is a Chinese and Spanish drama short film written and directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi and produced with the collaboration of Chinese companies. [1] It was produced by Almost Red Productions in association with Arkadin Ed. and filmed in Sichuan, China.

Contents

Sunken Plum is the final part of the trilogy Invisible Chengdu (aka El Chengdu Invisible (Spanish)), a series of short films shot in Sichuan (China) and using the local dialect, Sichuanese Mandarin. The trilogy centers around the underground scene of Chengdu. It includes the films Floating Melon (2015) and Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal (2013) and follows stories about characters that usually are ostracized and that must survive in the shadows of the city, since the Chinese society is contrary to diversity and individuality. [2]

Set in a contemporary city of China, Sunken Plum follows Li Wanjing, a transgender woman that must return to her home village in the mountains after learning of the death of her mother, since she must arrange the funeral, but cannot out her identity in front of family members and friends. [3] The film stars Gu Xiang, a non-professional actor that faced his first performance with the movie. Supporting roles are played by Yu Yinmeng, who performed in a previous film of the directors, Floating Melon, Tian Peng, and Li Lierong.

Sunken Plum aims to portray the life of the transgender community in Chinese society. Of the motivation behind film, director Robert F. Canuto said We hope that with time things will start to change and these groups start to get the respect and rights that they deserve.. [4] In Sunken Plum they try to represents some of the many difficulties that have a transgender woman in China. If focuses in the family relationships and the different treatment they receive between the cities and the villages. [5]

Filming took place in September and October 2016 in Sichuan (China), and the post-production process was completed in October 2017 in Asturias, Spain. Sunken Plum was distributed by Laboral Cinemateca, a company from the government of Principado de Asturias, and had its premiere at the 62nd Seminci, Valladolid International Film Festival on the 24 of October 2017. It was shown also in Spain at the 22nd LesGaiCineMad, Madrid International LGBT Film Festival and the 55th FICX, Gijón International Film Festival, where obtained the "Laboral Cinemateca Award", that consist in the distribution of the movie at international film festivals. [6]

The international premiere took place in April 2018 at the 9th LGBT film festival in Poland. In the following six months, it was shown in over 25 countries, participating in two festivals that qualify for the pre-selection of the Academy Awards (Oscar) for Best Short Film: the 36th Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival and the 26th Raindance Film Festival in London (UK), The film obtained various awards and mentions through the year 2018. [7]

Cast

Plot

A transgender woman, working in a Chengdu nightclub, receives an unexpected visit from her cousin who tells her that her mother (whom she had not visited for a long time) is dead. As the only son, she feels obligated to return to her birthplace, but can not appear as a woman in front of her family. [9]

Pre-Production

Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with directors and main actors Sunken Plum (Chen Li) (Dir. Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi) Behind the Scenes at the village.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with directors and main actors

The films start the pre-production process in summer 2016. The directors mention that "The production process was very complicated because it was not possible to obtain help from official institutions, neither from private funds because this type of works cannot have a normal distribution in China". It was partially financed by a crowdfunding project. [10] "Many people collaborate, knowing that our intention was to bring attention towards the difficulties and the injustice that the LGBT community and in special the trans community suffer in the Chinese society. For that reason, this project is very special for us". [11]

Produced by Almost Red Productions in association with Arkadin Ed (Spain), the filming took place in China. [12] Being a co-production, in the practice, it is just a Spanish film, not only because the main founds of the film came from Spain, but also because the film cannot be distributed in China, due to the strict censorship of the audiovisual exhibition in the country.

Writing

The script was written by the directors, Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. The idea behind the story came after the directors viewed videos that were shared on Chinese social networks, and then censored a few hours later. The videos portrayed the physical and psychological abuse of some transgender women. [13] The directors mention: "we were surprided that these videos were shared in a playful and entertaining manner. Knowing the great difficulties that this community must face to have a dignified life, lacking legal protection and suffering the contempt of a good part of society, we decided to write this story to draw attention to this unfair situation".

According to the directors, the objective of the film was "a story with a simple and direct narrative, but with an important emotional charge, so that the viewer feels empathy with the main character and understands her inner world. Our wish would be that this short film could be seen both by the kind of people who shared those videos for fun, as well as by the archetype of people who are represented in the village, who are completely unaware of the existence of transsexuality and, therefore, they can not accept it". [14]

Production

Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with main actor Gu Xiang Sunken Plum (Dir. Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi) Behind the Scene picture with actor Gu Xiang.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with main actor Gu Xiang

The filming process of Sunken Plum took place between the middle of September until 9 October 2016 in Sichuan (China).

Location

The locations of the filming were the center of Chengdu, the lake "Bai Ta" and a village in the mountains of Sichuan, "Nan Bu". The main problem regarding setting was finding a suitable village that allow the production team to shoot a scene related to funerals. Superstitions surrounding the dead are very strong in the countryside of China. The village used, "Bai Ta", is located five hours from Chengdu in the mountains, and the team needed to drive dangerous roads to reach the remote area. [15]

Casting

Sunken Plum was performed by non professional actors and some scenes required many extras. The leading role was played by the male actor Gu Xiang, who took on the complex character, "Li Wanying", a transgender woman with strong family conflicts. [16] Regarding the casting process, director Roberto F. Canuto mentions that they “try to find a transgender actress to perform the main role, but it was not possible. Finally, we choose a non-professional actor, but that had some of the qualities and the passion that we were looking for, and we thought he would give a true personality and spontaneity to the role”. Gu Xiang interviewed transgender women and rehearsed the scenes for months with the directors until he felt ready to commence filming. [17]

Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with director Roberto F. Canuto and actor Zhang Zhi. Sunken Plum Behind the scene. Roberto F. Canuto with actor Zhang Zhi in Chengdu.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with director Roberto F. Canuto and actor Zhang Zhi.

Crew

Among the members of the crew it had usually collaborators of the directors, like the producer Leng Zhiwen and the director of photography Guo Yong, with whom they already collaborate in their previous Chinese short film, Floating Melon.

The music will be composed by the multi-awarded Italian-American composer Andrea Centazzo, being Sunken Plum the seventh collaboration with the directors. [18]

Release

The world premiere and national release of the film took place on the 24 of October 2017 at the 62 SEMINCI, Valladolid International Film Festival, and the international premiere in April 2018 at the 9th LGBT film festival in Poland. In the first twelve months since the premiere, it was screened in over 60 national (Spain) and international film festivals and obtained various awards and nominations. Among the festival, the Academy Awards qualifiers for best short film, Outfest in Los Angeles and Raindance Film Festival in London (UK).

Awards and screenings

(Awards won are in bold)

Festival Screenings

Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with actors Gu Xiang and Yu Yinmeng. Sunken Plum (Ciruela de agua dulce, Chen Li) actors Gu Xiang & Yu Yinmeng during shooting. Dir. Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with actors Gu Xiang and Yu Yinmeng.
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) shooting. Sunken Plum (Ciruela de agua dulce, Chen Li) Picture 5. Dir. Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) shooting.
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with actors Tian Peng and Chen Jiaqi. Sunken Plum (Chen Li, Ciruela de agua dulce) Pictures with actors Tian Peng and Chen Jiaqi.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with actors Tian Peng and Chen Jiaqi.
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with director Roberto F. Canuto and actor Gu Xiang. Sunken Plum Behind the scenes picture. Director Roberto F. Canuto and main actor Gu Xiang.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with director Roberto F. Canuto and actor Gu Xiang.
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with director Xu Xiaoxi and actor Gu Xiang. Sunken Plum Behind the scenes picture. Director Xu Xiaoxi with main actor Gu Xiang.jpg
Picture of Sunken Plum (Chen Li) with director Xu Xiaoxi and actor Gu Xiang.

The film participated in over 60 international film festivals.

INTERNATIONAL SCREENINGS (starts in April 2018)

NATIONAL SCREENINGS

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Spain</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Spain rank among the highest in the world, having undergone significant advancements within recent decades. Among ancient Romans in Spain, sexual interaction between men was viewed as commonplace, but a law against homosexuality was promulgated by Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans, and Roman moral norms underwent significant changes leading up to the 4th century. Laws against sodomy were later established during the legislative period. They were first repealed from the Spanish Code in 1822, but changed again along with societal attitudes towards homosexuality during the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco's regime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Coronado</span> Spanish actor

José María Coronado García is a Spanish film and television actor and former model. His performances playing law enforcement officer roles have brought him some of the greatest successes of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javier Calvo (actor)</span> Spanish actor, director and writer

Francisco Javier Calvo Guirao known professionally as Javier Calvo is a Spanish actor, stage, film, and television director and writer. He is best known for his role of Fernando "Fer" Redondo in the Antena 3 series Física o Química (2008-2011). Calvo created and directed the musical La llamada together with Javier Ambrossi, with its success leading to a film adaptation (2017). Continuing their work together, Calvo and Ambrossi would develop the television series Paquita Salas (2016–present), Veneno (2020-2023) and its upcoming sequel Vestidas de Azul (2023-2024), and La Mesías (2023). The director pair are also romantic partners commonly referred to as 'Los Javis'. He has received several awards including a pair of wins in both the Feroz Awards and Fotogramas de Plata, and has received nominations for two Goya Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paco Plaza</span> Spanish film director (born 1973)

Francisco Plaza Trinidad, simply known as Paco Plaza, is a Spanish film director known for his works in the horror genre. He is the co-creator of the REC zombie film franchise.

<i>Desire Street</i> (film) 2011 film by Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi

Desire Street is a 2011 comedy-drama film written and directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. The film features an ensemble cast including Alejandra Walker, Javier Lopez, Ellen Clifford, Kjord Davis, Jesus Guevara and Alexandra Smothers, with Charles Wells, Tyler Vincent, Roman Marshanski, Kay Hand, Gavin Fonseca and Sassoun Hagopian in supporting roles. Revolving around an eccentric and dysfunctional Mexican immigrant family living in Los Angeles, the film is divided into three parts, each one with a story reflecting a family member and the relationship that they establish with a new neighbor, a prostitute named Lucy Bell.

<i>Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal</i> 2013 Spanish film

Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal is a 2013 Spanish and Chinese co-production drama film written and directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. The film represents one of the rare independent film collaborations between Spain and China, together with the previous film from the directors, Desire Street. The film is based in a true story that happened to a close friend of the directors and it was shot in Chengdu, China, using the local dialect of the region, the Sichuanese Mandarin.

Toto Forever, also known in Spanish as Toto Para Siempre or Siempre Toto, is a 2010 dramatic short film directed by Roberto F. Canuto, written by Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi, and starring Kylan James, Kjord Davis, Diana Grivas, Alexander Aguila, and Alexandra Smothers. The film was screened at over thirty international film festivals, mainly those with an LGBT theme, winning awards including best film. It is considered a cult film in many circles, becoming a classic in underground Gay Cinema after many screenings around the world.

Mei Mei is a 2009 Chinese and US co-production drama short film directed by Xu Xiaoxi and written by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. The film's premiere took place in Hungary, where the film was part of the official selection at the 3rd Annual Slow Film International Film Festival, a successor to the 32-year-old Hungary Film Festival, born of the Film Art Initiative that includes films from Europe and North America. Mei Mei was screened in late August 2009 to an international crowd and was received as one of the festival's finest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberto F. Canuto</span> Spanish film director and screenwriter

Roberto Fernandez Canuto is a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He belongs to a new generation of filmmakers from Spain with learning or working experiences internationally and with multicultural influences. Roberto F. Canuto is one of the first European directors to establish stable collaborations within the Chinese industry. Since 2010 he co-directs all his films with the Chinese director Xu Xiaoxi and together open a film production company in China, Almost Red Productions.

Xu Xiaoxi is a Chinese film director and screenwriter. He belongs to a new generation of filmmakers from China that are educated in the West. Since 2010, he co-directs all his films with the Spanish director Roberto F. Canuto and together open a film production company in China, Almost Red Productions.

<i>Floating Melon</i> 2015 Chinese film

Floating Melon is a 2015 Spanish and Chinese co-production drama film written and directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. It is a low budget independent short movie produced by Almost Red Productions (China) in association with Arkadín Ediciones (Spain). It was shot in Chengdu, using the local dialect of the region, the Sichuanese Mandarin.

<i>Advent</i> (film) 2016 film directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi

Advent is a 2016 Spanish and Chinese co-production psychological drama film, written and directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi, and produced by the film company of the directors, Almost Red Productions, and Arkadin Ediciones in association with Producciones Viesqueswood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberto Álamo</span> Spanish actor

Roberto Martínez Felipe, better known as Roberto Álamo, is a Spanish actor who has appeared in more than fifty films since 1996. Álamo won the Goya Award for Best Actor for his performance as Javier Alfaro in May God Save Us (2016).

<i>May God Save Us</i> 2016 Spanish film

May God Save Us is a 2016 Spanish crime thriller film directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and written by Sorogoyen and Isabel Peña. It stars Antonio de la Torre and Roberto Álamo as a couple of flawed police investigators tracking down a serial killer of elderly women in Madrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petra Martínez</span> Spanish actress

Petra Martínez Pérez is a Spanish actress who has had a long career on stage, film and television.

<i>Veneno</i> (TV series) 2020 Spanish biographical television miniseries

Veneno is a Spanish biographical television limited series, created by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo that aired on Atresplayer Premium in Spain from 29 March to 25 October 2020. The series, which tells the life and death of Spanish transgender singer and television personality Cristina Ortiz Rodríguez, better known by the nickname "La Veneno", is based on the biography ¡Digo! Ni puta ni santa. Las memorias de La Veneno by Valeria Vegas.

<i>HIT</i> (TV series) 2020 Spanish television series

HIT is a Spanish high school-themed drama television series created by Joaquín Oristrell that began airing on 21 September 2020. Produced by Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in collaboration with Grupo Ganga and starring Daniel Grao as Hugo Ibarra Toledo, an unconventional educator, the series is focused on problems in high school, such as violence, harassment, and bullying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernando González Molina</span>

Fernando González Molina is a Spanish film and television director.

<i>Prison 77</i> 2022 Spanish film

Prison 77 is a 2022 Spanish historical thriller drama film directed by Alberto Rodríguez from a screenplay co-written with Rafael Cobos which stars Miguel Herrán and Javier Gutiérrez.

References

  1. "Rodaje Gijonés en China (filming of an asturian director in China)" (in Spanish). El Comercio (Newspaper). 10 October 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016. Comedia melodramática con tintes de misterio y realismo social
  2. "Roberto F. Canuto finaliza un nuevo rodaje en China (Roberto F. Canuto end a new shooting in China)" (in Spanish). La Nueva España (Newspaper). 11 October 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016. La película representa la última parte de la trilogía "El Chengdu Invisible", formada por Ni Jing: No Robarás, Sandía Amarga y Sunken Plum, que narra historias sobre personajes habitualmente marginados, que deben subsistir en las sombras de una sociedad, la China, contraria a la diversidad y la individualidad.
  3. "'Ciruela de agua dulce', del cineasta gijonés Roberto F. Canuto..." Europapress.es (in Spanish). Europa Press. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. Schalkwijk, Ivo (7 November 2016). "Een filmproductie over transseksuelen in China(a film about transexuals in China)". Het China Crowdblog (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 December 2016. Met het laatste deel willen de regisseurs transgenders een helpende hand bieden door het leven in deze gemeenschap in beelden samen te vatten en mensen aan het denken te zetten. Roberto: "We hope that with time things will start to change and these groups start to get the respect and rights that they deserve".
  5. Peláez, I (18 October 2016). "Roberto F. Canuto, director gijonés, acaba de terminar un rodaje en China (Roberto F. Canuto, director from Gijon, just finish a new film in China) Interview" (in Spanish). La Nueva España (Newspaper). p. 12. Retrieved 26 December 2016. Print interview (web preview)
  6. R., J. M. (24 August 2018). ""Sunken Plum" in London ("Ciruela de agua dulce", en Londres)" (in Spanish). La Nueva España. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  7. "The coproduction Astur-Chinese "Sunken Plum" selected in the Raindance in London (La coproducción astur-china 'Ciruela de agua dulce', seleccionada en el Raindance de Londres)" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia Newspaper. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  8. Redacción (9 October 2016). "EL DIRECTOR ASTURIANO ROBERTO F. CANUTO Y EL CHINO XU XIAOXI FINALIZAN EL RODAJE DE SU NUEVA PELÍCULA EN CHENGDU". Cineyteatro.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 December 2016. reparto encontramos actores como Celia Yu Yinmenng, Tian Peng, Li Lie Rong o Chen Jia Qui.
  9. "Even filmproductie over transseksuelen in China (a film about transsexuals in China)". China2015.nl (in Dutch). 7 November 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016. Het verhaal over een transgender vrouw die werkt in een nachtclub in Chengdu. Onverwacht krijgt ze een bezoek van haar nicht die haar verteld dat haar moeder is overleden. Als enige zoon voelt ze zich verplicht om terug te gaan naar haar geboorteplaats, maar kan niet als vrouw voor haar familie verschijnen.
  10. "Support Chengdu Art LGBT film". Zaomongshe (in English and Chinese). 31 October 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  11. ""Sunken Plum", form the Asturias filmmaker Roberto F. Canuto and the Chinese Xu Xiaoxi..." 20minutos.es (in Spanish). 20 minutos. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018. "Reconociendo las enormes dificultades de esta comunidad para llevar una vida digna, careciendo de protección legal y sufriendo el desprecio de buena parte de la sociedad, decidimos escribir esta historia para llamar la atención sobre esta injusta situación Ver más en: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/3157473/0/ciruela-agua-dulce-cineasta-gijones-roberto-canuto-chino-xu-xiaoxi-estreno-mundial-seminci/#xtor=AD-15&xts=467263#xtor=AD-15&xts=467263 {{cite web}}: External link in |quote= (help)
  12. "Support Chengdu Art LGBT film". Zaomongshe (in English and Chinese). 31 October 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  13. "(An Astur-Chinese coproduction, selected in Raindance". abc.es (in Spanish). Abc newspaper. Retrieved 30 August 2018. La idea de esta coproducción surgió cuando los cineastas vieron unos vídeos que se difundieron en las redes sociales en China, y fueron censurados en pocas horas, donde se podían ver maltratos físicos y psicológicos a mujeres transgénero por parte de autoridades.
  14. NBNoticias (22 August 2018). ""Sunken Plum" selected in the Raindance of London". www.eldigitaldeasturias.com (in Spanish). El digital de Asturias. Retrieved 30 August 2018. Según el cineasta, "intentamos crear una historia con una narrativa sencilla y directa, pero con una importante carga emocional, para que el espectador sienta empatía con el personaje principal y entienda su mundo interior. Nuestro deseo sería que este corto pudiera ser visto tanto por el tipo de personas que compartían esos videos por diversión, al igual que por el arquetipo de personas que aparecen representados en la aldea, que desconocen por completo la existencia de la transexualidad y, por ello, no la pueden aceptar"
  15. Peláez, I (18 October 2016). "Roberto F. Canuto, director gijonés, acaba de terminar un rodaje en China (Roberto F. Canuto, director from Gijon, just finish a new film in China) Interview" (in Spanish). La Nueva España (Newspaper). p. 12. Retrieved 26 December 2016. Print interview (web preview)
  16. "EL DIRECTOR ASTURIANO ROBERTO F. CANUTO Y EL CHINO XU XIAOXI FINALIZAN EL RODAJE DE SU NUEVA PELÍCULA EN CHENGDU, CHINA". Cineyteatro.com (in Spanish). 9 October 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  17. Chávez Reyes, Jorge Alberto. "The trans short film "Sunken Plum"...in Raindance". Blogdelimagay (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 August 2018. El propio Roberto F. Canuto comenta las dificultades para rodar el cortometraje y ha destacado la interpretación del elenco actoral, compuesto por actores no profesionales: "intentamos en vano encontrar a una actriz transgénero para interpretar el papel protagonista. Finalmente optamos por un actor no profesional, ya que poseía las cualidades y la pasión que buscábamos, y le daría viveza y espontaneidad al personaje". Según afirma el realizador, para darle credibilidad, Gu Xiang se entrevistó con varias mujeres transgénero y ensayó las escenas durante varios meses con los directores, hasta sentirse preparado para afrontar el rodaje.
  18. "Finaliza el rodaje de la película astur-china 'Sunken Plum' (The film Astur-Chinese Sunken Plum end the filming process)". Asturias Mundial (in Spanish). 9 October 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.