At the very end of Wang Quan’an’s enchanting seventh feature, a droll title appears: “Based on True Stories.” It’s amusing because it’s unnecessary; this is the kind of cinema that makes its stories true by telling them, that puts eccentric, real, cyclical life — calf births and lamb slaughters — before its camera and generously transforms it into drama, character, plot, and theme. Starring a cast of first-timers of unfakable authenticity and a series of stunning Mongolian skies, “Öndög” (Mongolian for “egg”) is an art-house proposition to be sure, but within those rarefied confines deserves exposure as vast as the windswept Mongolian steppe against which it slowly burns, sending up a column of smoke that can be seen for miles.
Marking Wang’s fourth appearance in the Berlin competition, “Öndög” also marks a welcome return to the intimacy (and brevity) of his Mongolia-set 2007 Golden Bear winner “Tuya’s...
Marking Wang’s fourth appearance in the Berlin competition, “Öndög” also marks a welcome return to the intimacy (and brevity) of his Mongolia-set 2007 Golden Bear winner “Tuya’s...
- 2/8/2019
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
As with Wang Xiaoshuai, who also appears in competition at Berlin, Wang Quan’an belongs to what Chinese call the sixth generation of filmmakers. That means he is in his 50s, grew up in the immediate aftermath of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), and has witnessed for himself China’s headlong rush into industrialization, urbanization and modernity.
Unlike the younger filmmakers that follow, many of whom are making commercial films in popular genres, Wang does not take those upheavals and the new China for granted.
While never classified as an underground director or banned for his work, Wang has nevertheless chronicled China’s societal upheavals. Often he has worked with overseas craft or finance elements to bring his films to fruition.
Struggle for survival was a common theme running through Wang’s first four films. He won Berlin’s top prize, the Golden Bear, in 2007 with the heartbreaking Inner Mongolia-set “Tuya’s Marriage,...
Unlike the younger filmmakers that follow, many of whom are making commercial films in popular genres, Wang does not take those upheavals and the new China for granted.
While never classified as an underground director or banned for his work, Wang has nevertheless chronicled China’s societal upheavals. Often he has worked with overseas craft or finance elements to bring his films to fruition.
Struggle for survival was a common theme running through Wang’s first four films. He won Berlin’s top prize, the Golden Bear, in 2007 with the heartbreaking Inner Mongolia-set “Tuya’s Marriage,...
- 2/7/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.