Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFxf4kG69H4

1) This is the first IMAX film made outside the United States, a joint product between China’s Hua Yi Brothers, and IMAX

2) Richard Gelfond, IMAX CEO on why they chose this particular film: “In the U.S., one of the key criteria we have is the director, and that’s why whether it’s Chris Nolan or Jim Cameron or Tim Burton, they work in IMAX. We knew Feng Xiaogang had an extremely high reputation in China and we also knew he was good at marketing films. All these factors pointed to Huayi as a logical choice.”

3) The film is set to receive the widest theatrical release in modern Chinese history, at up to 4,000 screens in China,  an amount comparable to  the widest release ever in America of 4,146 screens (Eclipse).

4) In a few short days at Cannes when previewed, Tangshan Earthquake was signed to seven countries and, along with Detective Dee, became the first Huayi Brothers Chinese film to be released across Asia and in multiple regions.

5)The movie is based around the Tangshan Earthquake, the second deadliest earthquake of all time, and the largest earthquake of the twentieth century by death toll.

6) This film was partly funded by the Tangshan city government, and shot there. The director recruited actual survivors as extras, including them in an aerial shot showing the city dotted with small fires — survivors burning paper offerings for their loved ones. “They were really crying. They were burning paper as they were expressing their love for their relatives,” Feng said.

7) This is the first time actress Xu Fan has appeared  in a Feng Xiaogang film in six years, since the well-received A World Without Thieves. She plays a mother whose heart has been broken for 32 years after he earthquake takes away her husband and forces her to make life’s most difficult and most painful choice.

8)  Movie producer Chen Kuo-fu: “The essence of this movie is still the power of emotions, the power of family love, the power of family. There isn’t a place in the world like China, that sees family love and family as an important foothold and support as one’s own life.”

Sources:  Jo’s wonderful  translations from Sina at Cfensi forums, filmbiz asia, THR

Jo had translated some beautiful articles about the family aspect of this film that are, although lengthy, definitely worth a read if you are interested.

EARLY BUZZ AT CANNES: The Acting, The Technical Aspects, and the Distribution to Other Countries

As the Cannes Film Festival is more than half done, Huayi Brothers revealed its international poster for the movie Tangshan Earthquake / Aftershock for the first time. Overseas film companies are paying quite a bit of attention to director Feng Xiaogang, who went from three completely different successful attempts (The Banquet, Assembly, and If You Are the One) to a movie about an epic disaster. In a few short days, Tangshan Earthquake signed a contract with seven countries and, along with Detective Dee, became the first Huayi Brothers Chinese film to be released across Asia and in multiple regions. Tangshan Earthquake is even more dependent on the sincere humanitarian feelings that cause people to be moved. “Hollywood Reporter”, “Variety,” and other international media regarded the movie as an emotional masterpiece about human nature, saying it can be considered the Chinese version of Sophie’s Choice.

Xu Fan’s touching performance compared to “the most difficult performance in history”

The famous 1982 movie Sophie’s Choice, which got the Academy Award for Best Actress, tells the story of a Polish and Jewish immigrant who is persecuted by Nazis during World War Two. At the concentration camp, she is forced to give up one of her two children. After the war ends, she and her boyfriend immigrate to New York and there meet a young American writer living on the same floor as them. Although she is far from Auschwitz, the painful memories still haunt her. Similarly, Tangshan Earthquake also talks about a mother who, in desperate times, has to face the difficult situation of “of two, only one may live” that becomes a lifelong burden and sorrow unable to be healed.

“I thank Xu Fan for giving her best performance in Tangshan Earthquake.” Regarding his wife Xu Fan’s performance in the movie, Feng Xiaogang evaluates her in this way: “This role particularly suits her. Xu Fan very accurately portrayed this mother’s broken heart. I feel that Xu Fan’s abilities burst out in this film and she supported the entire film.” Movie producer Chen Kuo-fu then said, “We already had some anticipation of the result of Xu Fan’s acting while we were casting, but when we really saw her act, all the emotional barriers were broken.”

After North American and European film companies saw Xu Fan’s performance in the movie, they praised her even more. During that time, Meryl Streep’s performance in Sophie’s Choice was regarded by American film critics as “the most difficult performance in history.” This time, Xu Fan’s portrayal of a mother whose heart crumbles apart and collapses will further make people immediately think of Meryl Streep’s deeply moving performance.

“Hand” poster brings about the warmth and light after the disaster

At the current Cannes Film Festival, the international poster for Tangshan Earthquake, displaying as its subject the hand of Li Yuanni (Xu Fan) tightly holding her son Fangda, shocked and powerfully conveyed to the entire audience the theme of family love. “The choice of a mother in one moment will change her family forever and edit the life of a girl forever.” The 23-second decision will bring 32 years of pain. In director Feng Xiaogang’s eyes, the harm to popular feeling brought by the earthquake is indelible, but on the poster, on top of each part of the dark ruins there remains, without exception, the warm touch of bright colors. The director explains, “After the disaster, the only thing that remains that is family. Just like this light, it supports them with the hope and courage to keep on living.”

Two years ago, the Huayi film Assembly relied on first-class production standards and the profound theme of human nature to remodel the international image of Chinese war films. Tangshan Earthquake is, as of now, the only Huayi film with such a high investment and is even more a movie that completely transcends the standards and image of Chinese-made films. “With disaster films, it’s often the case that the situation is greater than the content, but with Tangshan Earthquake the content is greater than the situation. Of course, we’ll also show the audience the extremely forceful images, but we hope more to bring the audience into the character’s inner world.” [Article doesn't say who said this.] The humanitarian spirit of the film has also piqued the interest of international buyers and film critics. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the newest project from China’s most successful director [lit. the director who sells the most seats in China], and much attention is being paid to the domestic box office situation.

China’s first IMAX film to land in the mainstream market in North America

In 2009, Huayi Brothers and IMAX officially announced their partnership, and they plan to collaborate to make three domestic IMAX films. Tangshan Earthquake is be the first movie, and in July 2010 will premiere in China, other Asian cities, and major North American IMAX movie theaters. It will be the first Chinese mainstream film to use IMAX technology. This also the first time IMAX will, in international markets outside of the United States, use IMAX digital conversion technology to create an enormous international work.

Huayi Brothers chairman Wang Dongjun previously said, “The IMAX trademark has already become an inseparable part of the development of Hollywood films. Our collaboration will promote the blossoming radiance of Chinese films on the world stage. Collaborating with IMAX will bring a new competitive advantage for Tangshan Earthquake and other new domestic films in domestic and international marketing.” The administrative director of SARFT, Tong Gang, also said, “At many prestigious global film festivals, Chinese films have frequently received distinction. This time, the collaboration of two industry giants will, again, reflect the international film industry’s recognition of Chinese films. Movies are the best way to demonstrate Chinese culture, and IMAX and Huayi Brothers will collaborate to bring even more outstanding Chinese films to audiences in the rest of the world, which I am very pleased about and look forward to.”

In addition, Tangshan Earthquake producer and Huayi Brothers CEO Wang Zhonglei introduced, “It was at this year’s Cannes Film Festival that Tangshan Earthquake appeared in public to the overseas market for the first time. Although Director Feng was still in the country supervising the film’s post-production and could not bring the movie to Cannes himself, but until yesterday, I already received reports about overseas sales contracts with seven countries. Other overseas film companies are also very actively arranging matters with Huayi staff. It is worth mentioning that overseas buyers have continuously expressed that they hope to move up their local release date for Tangshan Earthquake and, as much as possible, make it as close to the Chinese release date. This fully indicates the expectation and welcoming of the international market toward Director Feng Xiaogang’s new project. We are full of confidence when it comes to Tangshan Earthquake‘s achievements in overall sales abroad, and await the release of the IMAX version of the movie in the North American mainstream market.”

FIRST REPORTS: The Emotional Impact of the Family Portrayed Onscreen

According to reports, Tangshan Earthquake officially passed through SARFT yesterday, and is scheduled to premiere simultaneously in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on July 22nd. The previous concern that “the situation of disaster movies was greater than the content” is not at all apparent in this movie’s course of events. It was revealed that many of the people on the SARFT board were moved to tears while watching the movie. One reviewer expressed, Tangshan Earthquake is a true epic of the Chinese spirit, just like director Feng Xiaogang said: “The shock of this movie lies not in the buildings but rather in each person’s heart.”

Tangshan Earthquake talks about an ordinary Tangshan family and their 32 years of joys and sorrows after the earthquake. It is a disaster movie but also an emotional epic that describes the family love of Chinese people and their views on family. The movie smoothly passed through censorship, and a related person praised the movie for achieving a new summit for Chinese language films, especially the international special effects team that remade the scene of the earthquake so realistical  it made people gasp in surprise. The disaster scene in Tangshan Earthquake is even more forceful than anyone could have imagined, but we hope more that we will be able to bring the audience into the inner world of someone who personally experienced it.” Director Feng Xiaogang recently expressed in interviews that he hopes that “the shock [of Tangshan Earthquake] will not be in the buildings but rather in each person’s heart.”

Movie producer Chen Kuo-fu also believes that Tangshan Earthquake will not only bring out the courage and hope caused by family love, but he hopes that it will be able to awaken people to re-examine and reflect on these most precious thoughts. “The essence of this movie is still the power of emotions, the power of family love, the power of family. There isn’t a place in the world like China, that sees family love and family as an important foothold and support as one’s own life.”

Xu Fan, who did not appear in a Feng Xiaogang film for six years after A World Without Thieves, plays an ordinary spinner/weaver named Li Yuanni in Tangshan Earthquake. She becomes the most direct victim of the “physical earthquake” and “mental aftershock.” Before the earthquake, she is a spinner/weaver, has a down-to-earth and kindhearted husband, and has a pair of fraternal twins. But the earthquake takes away her husband and forces her to make life’s most difficult and most painful choice. As for how to portray the thought process of a “mother whose heart has been broken” for 32 years, Xu Fan thinks everything should be “natural” (顺其自然): “The role of Li Yuanni goes from 30 years old to 60 years old. I don’t really know how to put my attention on the challenges but rather do what comes naturally. I put a lot of feelings toward life in the role of this mother.”

“This is possibly Xu Fan’s best role.” Tangshan Earthquake‘s director, Feng Xiaogang, is extremely satisfied with Xu Fan’s performance. And regarding this type of “hollowing yourself out” role, Xu Fan says Tangshan Earthquake completely released all of her feelings toward being a mother: “A mother with a child will sacrifice everything; even living is for the child. Everyone says the greatest thing on earth is a mother’s love — although a father’s love is also very important, it’s still lacking a bit when compared to a mother’s love.”

- All translations by Jo.

If you are still up for some reading, this is an interesting interview with IMAX’s CEO about the future of IMAX in China.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/asia/news/e3id06d4e1f127671ac4bb67e6b11db901a