To Live To Sing
Directors' Fortnight
BFI
To Live To Sing
A Film by Johnny Ma
2019 - France/China - Drama - 1.78 - 100 min.
with Zhao Xiaoli , Gan Guidan & Yan Xihu
Language: Chinese
Produced by Vincent Wang & Jing Wang
Zhao Li is the manager of a small Sichuan Opera troupe, living and performing together in a rundown theatre located in the outskirts of Chengdu, China. When she receives the notice of demolition for the theatre, Zhao Li hides the news from everyone else, fearing that this could spell the end of her opera troupe: besides demolition, it’s the life of her “family” that is at stake. As she struggles to search for a new theatre for them to both sing and live in, the opera and its fantastic characters slowly begin to seep into her real world...
Directors' Fortnight
BFI
More Films
Luka
A film by Jessica Woodworth
2023 - Belgium/Italy/Netherlands/Bulgaria/Armenia - Sci-Fi - 1.85:1 - 94 min.
Luka, a young and ambitious soldier, embeds himself in the legendary Fort Kairos where heroic warriors defend the remains of civilization. His hopes to serve as an elite sniper are crushed when he is assigned to maintenance and must submit to the code of Kairos: obedience-endurance-sacrifice. As he rises through the ranks, Luka finds joy and strength in friendships with Konstantin, an enigmatic radar engineer, and Geronimo, a light-hearted private.
Sombre
A film by Philippe Grandrieux
1999 - France - Drama/Horror - DCP - 112 min.
Following the route of the Tour de France, a solitary motorist Jean periodically stops off to pick up and brutally kill prostitutes. During a rain storm, he runs into a young woman, Claire, whose car has broken down. He offers her a lift...
Pig
A film by Mani Haghighi
2018 - Iran - Drama/Comedy - 2.39 - 107 min.
Hasan is full of rage. He's been blacklisted and hasn't been allowed to make a film in years. His star, a woman he adores, is impatient and wants to work with other directors. His wife seems to have fallen out of love with him, and his mother has become old and is slowly losing her mind. Worst of all, film directors across the city are being murdered one after the other, but the serial killer is inexplicably ignoring him. Hasan's feelings are hurt: isn't he the most accomplished filmmaker in town? So why is he being neglected? All these frustrations come to a head when, through a series of bizarre misunderstandings, he becomes the prime suspect in the serial murder case. Social media are abuzz, Hasan has to come up with an ingenious plan to restore his reputation...