Fly with the Crane
Fly with the Crane (Chinese: 告訴他們,我乘白鶴去了; pinyin: gào su tā men, wǒ chéng bái hè qù le) is a 2012 Chinese film written and directed by Li Ruijun, and adapted from a novel Tell Them I've Gone With the White Crane by renowned Chinese author Su Tong. It made its premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival in 2012.[1][2]
| Fly with the Crane | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Chinese | 告訴他們,我乘白鶴去了 |
| Mandarin | gào su tā men, wǒ chéng bái hè qù le |
| Directed by | Li Ruijun |
| Produced by | Yang Cheng Li Ruijun Shen Xiaoping |
| Screenplay by | Li Ruijun |
| Story by | Su Tong |
| Starring | Ma Xingchun Tang Long |
| Music by | Xiao He |
| Cinematography | Yang Jin |
| Edited by | Li Ruijun |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
Synopsis
Old Ma (Ma Xingchun), a 73-year-old carpenter, used to make and paint coffins. Believing that a person's soul and spirit can only be preserved after death through burial, he plans to make a romantic ending of his life and longs to be taken to heaven by a white crane.
After the Chinese authorities implemented cremation, Old Ma feels hopeless until one day, when his grandchildren maps out an extraordinary plan to set him free.[1][3][4]
Cast
- Ma Xingchun as Old Ma
- Tang Long as Zhi
- Wang Siyi as Miaomiao
- Zhang Min as Ma Chunhua, Old Ma's daughter
- Wu Renlin as Zhi's father
- Wang Cailan as Zhi's mother
- Wang Zhihang as Jun
- Wang Dazhi as Old Cao
- Li Shengjun as Old Cao's son
Production
The cast of Fly with the Crane is all by Director Li's families, relatives and friends.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 20th Beijing College Student Film Festival[5] | Artistic Exploration Award | Fly with the Crane | Won |
| 46th Brasilia Film Festival[6] | Best Director | Li Ruijun | Won | |
| 2014 | 4th Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival[5] | Best Actor | Ma Xingchun | Won |
| Special Jury Award | Fly with the Crane | Won | ||
| 5th China Film Directors' Guild[7] | Best Young Director | Li Ruijun | Won |
References
- Wei, Xi (6 September 2012). "China's Fly with the Crane premieres at Venice film festival". Global Times. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- "Fly with the Crane 告訴他們,我乘白鶴去了". YouTube. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- "Fly with the Crane". Films from the South. 2015. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- Hoeij, Boyd van (7 September 2012). "Review: Fly With the Crane". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- "Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival 金考拉国际华语电影节". Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 2016-10-22.
- Ma, Karen (7 June 2016). "Tackling the Issue of Ageing in Rural China: An Interview with Li Ruijun". VCinema. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- Ma, Kevin (10 April 2014). "China Film Directors' Guild self-criticises". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-08.