活著唱著(中國/法國/加拿大/2019/劇情)
TO LIVE TO SING (CHINA/FRANCE/CANADA/2019/DRAMA)
HUÓ ZHE CHÀNG ZHE
語言：國語
Language: Chinese
劇介：Zhao Li是一個小型川劇劇團的團長，一夥人在中國成都郊區一個破敗不堪的劇院居住和演出。Zhao Li接到劇院的拆除通知，但她沒有通知其他人，因為擔心可能會造成劇團解散。不只劇院，分崩離析的還有她的「家庭」。她努力尋找新的劇院以供劇團居住演出，川劇裡奇妙的角色逐漸開始滲入她的真實世界⋯⋯
劇介
加拿大裔中國編劇兼導演馬楠首部作品為2016年的《老石》（Old Stone），第二部作品《活著唱著》是去年多倫多亞洲國際電影節開幕片。Zhao Li是中國成都郊區一家破敗劇院的負責人，她所領導的小型劇團以劇院為家，夜夜演出，向不感興趣的觀眾推廣川劇藝術。Zhao Li接到劇院的拆除通知，但沒有通知大家，因為到時被拆掉不只劇院，分崩離析的還有她親愛的劇團家人。她努力尋找新的劇院以供劇團居住演出，川劇裡奇妙的角色逐漸開始滲入她的真實世界。
劇介
一間傳統中國劇院收到拆除通知，主理劇院的劇團經理展開一場保衛劇團和川劇藝術的抗爭。馬楠的新片《活著唱著》靈感來自真實故事，描繪了傳統中國文化和價值觀如何受到現代經濟社會的的威脅。
導演/編劇：馬楠
製片：王琮，王婧
製作公司：House On Fire, Notable Content
演員：趙小利，甘貴丹，嚴西湖
關於導演：
馬楠出生於上海，在加拿大長大，在哥倫比亞大學攻讀電影。拍過短片《The Robbery》（2010）、《Play》（2011），《The Genius from Quintino》（2012）以及《A Grand Canal》（201年）。《老石》（2016）是他的第一部長片。
獎項與影展：
2019年坎城影展導演雙週放映。
2019年倫敦電影節。
2019年坎城影展導演雙週入圍。
2019年科克國際電影節最佳影片入圍。
2019年五味亞洲電影節最佳影片入圍。
2019年金雞獎最佳中小成本故事片。
2019年瓜納華托國際電影節國際競賽類榮譽提及。
2019年瓜納華托國際電影節最佳影片入圍。
2019年海南島國際電影節最佳長片入圍。
2019年澳門國際電影節新華語映像單元最佳劇本。
2019年澳門國際電影節亞洲電影奈派克獎。
2019年澳門國際電影節最佳影片入圍。
2019年上海國際電影節亞洲新人獎單元最佳影片。
2019年上海國際電影節最佳女主角，趙小利。
2019年上海國際電影節最佳女主角入圍，甘貴丹。
2019年金雞獎最佳女主角入圍，趙小利。
影評：
評審團盛讚本片以細膩而不誇張的方式來描繪當地傳統文化。獻給消失的生活方式的一首頌詩。
「……現實生活中真正的劇團團長趙小利，帶來優美緊湊而富有感情的演出……」
「……演員趙小利在現實生活中就是居住在成都的劇團團長和川劇演員，她在電影裡展現了自己的絕活……」
這部中法合製、充滿人性的新片，融合了戲劇、民族誌學和一點點社會批判，肯定是選片人的心頭好，特別適合曾經選了崔誼的皮影戲紀錄片《影》（2016）的影展。
《活著唱著》是一部關於家庭的劇情片，講述了傳統與變革之間的衝突。馬楠以中國社會和經濟架構的變化為框架，探討了瀕臨消失的傳統藝術，以及可能會受到影響的從業人員。影片雖然以懷舊的基調和表演方式來呈現，但也能說明夢想的重要性，包括過去和現在的夢想，以及夢想如何為未來創造必要的願景。
爛番茄影評：
趙小利褪下濃妝和傳統裝飾，走下神秘的舞台，在銀幕上帶來細膩、自然的演出，感動人心又無限優雅。（綜藝報）
這部片訴說了一個力挽狂瀾卻不成的悲傷故事，過往輝煌歲月終歸被遺忘，再也不復返。（好萊塢報導者）
馬楠的電影最特出之處，是他說故事的方式如此細膩，對劇團的感情之深。（Cineuropa）
花絮：
趙小利是專業川劇演員。
Synopsis
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...
Synopsis
Chinese-Canadian writer-director Johnny Ma follows his 2016 feature debut, Old Stone, with this touching drama, which opened last year’s Reel Asian Film Festival. Zhao Li is the manager of a rundown theatre on the outskirts of Chengdu, China, inhabited by a small troupe that performs the art of Sichuan opera to disinterested audiences night after night. When she receives a notice of demolition for the theatre, Zhao Li hides the news from everyone else, fearing that the threat of their home’s destruction could spell the end of their close-knit family. As she struggles to search for a new theatre for them to work and live in, elements of Sichuan opera and its fantastic characters slowly begin to seep into Zhao Li’s world.
Synopsis
A demolition notice looms over a traditional Chinese theatre. Its director thus becomes involved in a fight to protect his troupe and his art. Inspired by a true story, To Live To Sing, Johnny Ma’s recent film, depicts a traditional China whose most ancient culture and values are now being threatened by a faceless financial logic.
Director, Screenwriter: Johnny Ma
Producers: Vincent Wang, Jing Wang
Production Co: House On Fire, Notable Content
Cast: Zhao Xiaoli, Gan Guidan, Yan Xihu
About the Director:
Johnny Ma was born in Shanghai and raised in Canada. He studied film at Columbia University. His short films are The Robbery (2010), Play (2011), The Genius from Quintino (2012), and A Grand Canal (2013). Old Stone (2016) is his first feature film.
Awards & Festivals:
· Screened in the Director’s Fortnight section, Cannes, 2019.
· BFI, London, 2019.
· Director’s Fortnight Nominee, Cannes FF, 2019.
· Best Film Nominee, Cork IFF, 2019.
· Best Film Nominee, Five Flavours Asian FF, 2019.
· Best Small and Medium Budget Film Nominee, Golden Rooster Awards, 2019.
· International Competition, Honorary Mention, Guanajuato IFF, 2019.
· Best Film Nominee, Honorary Mention, Guanajuato IFF, 2019.
· Best Feature Film Nominee, Hainan IFF, 2019.
· Chinese Competition, Best Screenplay, IFF & Awards, Macao, 2019.
· NETPAC Award, IFF & Awards, Macao, 2019.
· Best Film Nominee, IFF & Awards, Macao, 2019.
· Best Film of Asian New Talent, Shanghai IFF, 2019.
· Zhao Xiaoli, Best Actress, Shanghai IFF, 2019.
· Guidan Gan, Best Actress Nominee, Asian New Talent, Shanghai IFF, 2019.
· Zhao Xiaoli, Best Actress Nominee, Golden Rooster Awards, 2019.
Reviews:
· The jury praised it for its delicate, yet not flamboyant, portrayal of traditional local culture.
· An ode to a vanishing way of life.
· „“....elevated by a beautifully compact and empathetic performance from Zhao Xiaoli, leader of the real-life opera group….”
· “…actor Zhao Xiaoli, a real-life troupe manager and performer in the city of Chengdu, shows off the skills of his profession...“
· The new film, a France-China co-production, is a successful and highly humanistic mix of drama, ethnography and (mild) social commentary which should be music to programmers' ears, especially those who selected Cui Yi's 2016 shadow-puppet documentary Of Shadows for their festivals.
· “To Live to Sing” is a drama about family, about the clash between tradition and change. Using the framework of the changes within the social and economical landscape in China, Johnny Ma’s film takes a look at what might be in danger of disappearing forever and the toll it takes on those affected by this development. Through its often nostalgic tone and its performances, it may also be a statement about the importance of dreams, of those of the past and the present, and how they may create those necessary visions for the future.
Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
· Zhao makes the transition from heavily painted, ornamented, and arcanely codified stage performer to subtle, natural, and wholly heartbreaking screen presence with exceptional grace. Variety
· A heartrending account of one person's increasingly frantic but ultimately futile efforts to bring back the glory days that have long receded into the past. THR
· What makes Ma's film surprising is the delicate way in which he tells the story as well as his affection for the camaraderie among the troupe. Cineuropa
Trivia:
Zhao Xiaoli is a professional Sichuan Opera singer.
