- Umbrella (film)
Infobox Chinese Film
name = Umbrella
image_size =
caption =
director =Du Haibin
producer =Ben Tsiang Du Haibin Hsu Hsiao-ming
writer =
starring =
music =Xu Chunsong
cinematography =Liu Aiguo
editing = Du Haibin
Fang Lei
Mary Stephen
Zang Jiali
distributor = Cnex Ltd.
released =64th Venice International Film Festival :September 2 ,2007
runtime = 93 min.
language = Mandarin
budget =
amg_id = 1:450653
imdb_id = 1094655
jianti = 伞
fanti = 傘
pinyin = Sǎn"Umbrella" is a Chinese
documentary film directed byDu Haibin and released in 2007. The film documents the experiences of modern rural China, particularly five social groups: students, soldiers, tradespeople, and peasants. Du's stated goal with the film was to highlight the growing disparity between China's prosperous cities and its stagnating countryside. [cite web|url=http://umbrella.cnex.org.cn/dycs.html|title=Director's statement|publisher=CNex (Official site)|accessdate=2008-09-20]Synopsis
"Umbrella" is divided into five parts, one for each social group documented. The first takes place in
Zhongshan , inGuangdong province at a industrial warehouse where poorly paid workers spend hours putting together umbrellas for sale. In another part of China, inYiwu ,Zhejiang province, a successful farmer has become an entrepreneur, running a umbrella manufacturing business.The film then shifts to
Shanghai , as it follows students and recent graduates who struggle to find employment in a hyper-competitive market. The students know that failure to find a job will mean a return to their rural roots.The fourth part follows a
People's Liberation Army garrison and new recruits. The recruits all come from farms in the countryside, looking for another life.The last part of the film takes place in
Luoyang ,Henan province. It documents an elderly peasant in a village that consists mostly of the old and infirm, as subsequent generations seek their fortunes elsewhere.Reception
"Umbrella" was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 30th Cinéma du Réel International Documentary Film Festival in 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.cinereel.org/article2792.html|title=Award List, Cinéma du Réel Film Festival 30th edition, March 7th – 18th 2008|publisher=Cinéma du Réel Film Festival|accessdate=2008-09-20] It has also screened at numerous film festivals, including Asian and documentary-film focused lineups. Most notable was its premiere at the
64th Venice International Film Festival as part of the Horizons Documentary program. [cite web|url=http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1749/|title=Venice casts discerning eye at Asian cinema|author =Vivarelli, Nick| publisher="Variety Asia" |date=2007-07-27|accessdate=2008-09-20] It was one of three Chinese films in the program, along withLü Yue 's documentary-drama hybrid, "The Obscure ", and Jia Zhangke's "Useless ". Collectively, the three films were said to exemplify the "overwhelming sophistication in Chinese...documentary filmmaking." [cite web|url= http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/08/46/venice-ff-2007.html|title=The Politic's Matter. The Soul Does Too. Wise Old Men Rule|publisher= "Senses of Cinema "|author=Wurm, Barbara|date=September 2007|accessdate= 2008-09-20]References
External links
* [http://umbrella.cnex.org.cn/index.html Official site]
*amg title|id=1:450653|title=Umbrella
*imdb title|id=1094655|title=Umbrella
* [http://www.dianying.com/en/title/21139 "Umbrella"] at the Chinese Movie Database
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