Something in Blue
2016 San Sebastián International Film Festival Entry
Something in Blue is another film about Guangzhou, but the time and location it takes place, even the Cantonese accent, are quite different from the urban village in Eight Diagrams. Since society had developed and the order had been established, youths needed to work hard and ‘have a successful dad’ to fight for a place in a world where all seats were taken.
‘Four youths. The cycle of four seasons. One city. Love and ideals. At a loss with a relaxed feeling.’ A half-improvisational and half-documentative low-budget production, the film puts emphasis on the feel, rather than the story. It may look amateurish, but it does possess a sense of realism. Although the characters failed to get jobs or date girls, the processes were interesting and inspirational. By showing them wandering around with nothing really happening and continuing to talk nonsense without a theme, the film may serve as a travelogue in the city by reflecting the daily lives of Guangzhou youths today.
Director: LI Yunbo
Cast: ZHANG Xingchao, YE Ruihong, ZHOU Jiaheng, LI Hui
Director Bio:
LI Yunbo
With experiences as a film critic and working in the television industry, LI Yunbo insists on making low-budget films about the city and recruits companions who do not care about fees for collaboration. As a senior outsider in Guangzhou who does not speak Cantonese, he can showcase trips to the city and youth portraits in his films, which have the most colloquial flavour in Cantonese dialogue.