The Cord of Life (2022 film)

Last updated
The Cord of Life
The Cord of Life (2022 film).jpg
Promotional poster
Directed bySixue Qiao
Screenplay bySixue Qiao
Produced by
  • Yu Cao
  • Ruoqing Fu
  • Liu Hui
  • Chen Yao
Starring
Cinematography
  • Yu Cao
  • Cheng Chang
Edited byYifan Zhang
Production
companies
Release date
  • October 25, 2022 (2022-10-25)
CountryChina
Languages Mandarin
Mongolian

The Cord of Life is a 2022 Chinese Mongolian-language drama film written and directed by Sixue Qiao in her feature film directorial debut. The film was set in the backdrop of rural Mongolia, especially with the theme revolving around Hulunbuir grasslands in northeastern Inner Mongolia. [1] The film gives a glimpse about the ethnic Mongolian minority who have spent majority of their time in contemporary mainland China. [2] The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Tokyo International Film Festival and it opened to positive reviews from critics while also praising the screenplay, direction, cinematography and creative visuals. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

Alus, a young aspiring musician living in Beijing (originally from Mongolia), has developed a keen interest and passion in playing a variety of traditional Mongolian instruments, although he has a strong background in the field of electronic music. He initiates a paradigm shift mindset by incorporating traditional music sounds into electronic music in order to bring a blend of Mongolian traditional culture with the prevalence of contemporary music culture. Despite his unique approach in handling music scores, he also confronts setbacks as he is destined to face a huge dilemma between finding the right balance when he is at the critical juncture to serve as a caretaker for his mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, while also recognizing his immense need to fulfill his potential in order to become a full-time musician to prolong his professional career aspirations. [3] [1]

He learnt about his mother's dementia through a phone call and he decided to take her with him to his childhood home in Mongolia. [4] However, things become complicated further when his mother’s condition worsens over time. Hence, Alus takes a proactive measure in order to prevent her from getting lost, and he decides to tie his mother with him using a rope. The rope symbolizes the equivalence of an umbilical cord that helps to elevate the emotional connection between him and his mother’s thought processes, as Alus also acknowledged that his mother has reverted back to an infant-esque situation that requires his care. [5] [6]

Cast

Premiere

In October 2022, the film was premiered in the Asian Future Competition category at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival. [7] [8] It was also screened at the 2022 Hainan International Film Festival and also at the 15th World Film Festival of Bangkok in 2022. [5] In January 2024, the film was premiered at the 22nd Dhaka International Film Festival. [9]

Accolades

The film received a Special Prize at the Project Market of 2022 Beijing International Film Festival. [5] The film was conferred with the Best Artistic Contribution award at the 2022 Hainan Island International Film Festival, in recognition for the efforts of the filmmakers in incorporating an opening sequence that juxtaposes the title card with an aerial shot of a river stretching over a steppe. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Mongolia</span>

The culture of Mongolia has been shaped by the country's nomadic tradition and its position at the crossroads of various empires and civilizations. Mongolian culture is influenced by the cultures of the Mongolic, Turkic, and East Asian peoples, as well as by the country's geography and its history of political and economic interactions with other nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokyo International Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in Tokyo, Japan

The Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. According to the FIAPF, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals and the second largest film festival in Asia behind the Shanghai International Film Festival, as well as the only Japanese festival accredited by the FIAPF.

<i>Comrades: Almost a Love Story</i> 1996 Hong Kong film

Comrades: Almost a Love Story is a 1996 Hong Kong film starring Maggie Cheung, Leon Lai, Eric Tsang, and Kristy Yang. It was directed by Peter Chan. The Chinese title refers to "Tian Mi Mi", a song by Teresa Teng whose songs are featured in the film. It was filmed on location in Hong Kong and New York City. Leon Lai later commented in 1997 that the story of Li Xiao Jun is somewhat a description of his own life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Chang</span> Taiwanese actress, writer, singer, producer and director

Sylvia Chang is a Taiwanese actress, singer, director, screenwriter, and producer. In 1992, she served as a jury member at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. In June 2018, she was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In the same year, she served as a jury member at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the instance and with the support of UNESCO, Paris.

<i>Unknown Pleasures</i> (film) 2002 Chinese film

Unknown Pleasures is a 2002 Chinese film directed by Jia Zhangke, starring Wu Qiong, Zhao Weiwei and Zhao Tao as three disaffected youths living in Datong in 2001, part of the new "Birth Control" generation. Fed on a steady diet of popular culture, both Western and Chinese, the characters of Unknown Pleasures represent a new breed in the People's Republic of China, one detached from reality through the screen of media and the internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Chin</span> American mountain climber, film director, and skier (born 1973)

Jimmy Chin is an American professional mountain athlete, photographer, skier, film director, and author.

Hadaa Sendoo is a Mongolian poet known for his contributions to modern poetry. His works have been translated into multiple languages and featured in various anthologies and literary journals internationally. In 2006, he founded the World Poetry Almanac, a publication focused on poetry from around the globe Sendoo's poetry often explores themes of nature, existential questions, and the human experience, drawing influences from Mongolian epics, Russian imagist poetry, and 20th-century Italian hermetic poetry.

Naren Hua is a Chinese film and television actress of Mongolian ethnicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hainan International Film Festival</span>

The Hainan Island International Film Festival is a film festival held in Sanya, Hainan, China. The inaugural festival was held from December 9 to 16, and included forums, ceremonies, and competitions. Actor Jackie Chan is the promotional ambassador.

Out of Paradise is a 2018 Swiss-Mongolian drama film directed and written by Batbayar Chogsom. It portrays a traditional Mongolian couple and their struggle to get a professional C-section and secure delivery of their first child. The film can be considered a road movie because the couple travels from their home in the Mongolian Steppe to Mongolia's capital city Ulaanbaatar, where they face challenges. The film won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Feature Film at the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival.

<i>Made in Bangladesh</i> (2019 film) 2019 Bangladeshi film

Made in Bangladesh is a 2019 Bangladeshi drama film directed by Rubaiyat Hossain. It premiered in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, following the participation at BFI London Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival and other major festivals. Distributed by Pyramide Films, the film was widely released in France on 4 December 2019 and running for several months following the theatrical release worldwide including USA, Canada, Denmark, Portugal, Germany, China, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Bangladesh and Japan.

Love Song 1980 is a 2020 Chinese romantic drama film written directed by Mei Feng, starring Li Xian and Chun Xia. Won the best film award in the "Developing Film Project" section of the 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival and was once again nominated for the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival - Tokyo Premiere 2020" unit. The film is adapted from Yu Xiaodan’s novel "The Lover in 1980". It tells the story of young people in the 1980s, facing the fate of the times and social waves, using love as a guide, seeking spiritual truth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Inner Mongolia protests</span> Protest events in Inner Mongolia, China

The 2020 Inner Mongolia protests was a protest caused by a curriculum reform imposed on ethnic schools by China's Inner Mongolia Department of Education. The two-part reform replaces Mongolian with Standard Mandarin as the medium of instruction in three particular subjects and replaces three regional textbooks, printed in Mongolian script, by the nationally-unified textbook series edited by the Ministry of Education, written in Standard Mandarin. On a broader scale, the opposition to the curriculum change reflects racism in China and the decline of regional language education in China.

<i>Love After Love</i> (2020 film) 2020 Chinese film

Love After Love is a 2020 Chinese romantic drama film directed by Ann Hui, and starring Ma Sichun, Faye Yu, Eddie Peng, Chang Chun-ning and Fan Wei. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2020. It was released theatrically in China on October 22, 2021.

<i>A Light Never Goes Out</i> 2022 Hong Kong film

A Light Never Goes Out is a 2022 Hong Kong drama film produced by Saville Chan and directed by Anastasia Tsang in her directorial debut. The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Tokyo International Film Festival. The film was the winner of 5th First Feature Film Initiative and received funding from the Film Development Fund. It was also selected to represent Hong Kong in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, but was later revealed to have been disqualified for currently undisclosed reasons.

<i>Sakra</i> (film) 2023 action film directed by Donnie Yen

Sakra is a 2023 martial arts wuxia film starring and directed by Donnie Yen in his first film as director since 2004, who also produced the film with Wong Jing. It is adapted from the wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils written by Jin Yong. The film co-stars Chen Yuqi, and Cya Liu, and it was released in OTT platforms in China at 2023 Chinese New Year where it was the top Chinese New Year release across the three biggest streaming platform IQiyi, Tencent and Youku, streaming revenues exceeded the film's budget within 10 days of release. It was also released in theatres in Malaysia and Singapore on 16 January 2023 where it ranked as one of the top Chinese film in terms of box office in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">35th Tokyo International Film Festival</span> 2022 film festival

The 35th Tokyo International Film Festival was a film festival that took place from 24 October to 2 November 2022. American writer-director Julie Taymor served as jury president. With The Beasts winning the Tokyo Grand Prix, the festival's top prize, Rodrigo Sorogoyen became the second Spanish director to achieve the prize, after Alejandro Amenábar in 1998.

<i>Motherhood</i> (2022 Japanese film) 2022 Japanese psychological thriller drama film directed by Ryuichi Hiroki

Motherhood is a 2022 Japanese psychological thriller drama film directed by Ryūichi Hiroki. The film stars Erika Toda and Mei Nagano in the main lead roles. The storyline of the film is an adaptation from Japanese crime fiction writer Kanae Minato's bestseller novel Bosei (母性). The film depicts about the paramount importance on the main theme of the plot revolving around motherhood by delving into the stories of three generations of women in Japan with an influence of Confucianism. The film opened to positive reviews from critics, with the Atsuhiro Nabeshima’s cinematography being praised for the portrayal of picturesque set design and coloring throughout the film.

Peacock Lament is a 2022 Sri Lankan Sinhala language drama film written and directed by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara. The film was co-produced by Chiara Barbo of Pilgrim Film and Sanjeewa himself for Sapushpa Expressions. The film had its world premiere at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Battulga, Amarsanaa (2023-04-07). "Steppe songs on the silver screen: Q&A with Qiao Sixue, director of 'The Cord of Life'". The China Project. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  2. "Film Screening: The Cord of Life". Asia Society. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  3. "Review: "The Cord of Life" Explores Modernity v. Tradition in Inner Mongolian Music". Cinema Escapist. 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  4. Thayne, Andrew (2023-07-23). "Film Review: The Cord of Life (2022) by Qiao Sixue". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Cord of Life". Midnightblurfilms. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  6. "The Cord of Life". Film at Lincoln Centre. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  7. "【The Cord of Life】| 35th Tokyo International Film Festival(2022)". 2022.tiff-jp.net. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  8. "The Cord of Life: Music Activation by Paul Chin". TIFF. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  9. "The Belt and Road Film Tour: 17 Chinese Films Showcased in Dhaka, with THE CORD OF LIFE Winning Two Major Awards". www.siff.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.