Seafood (film)
Encyclopedia
Seafood is a 2001 Chinese film
directed by the established writer Zhu Wen
. Though Seafood was Zhu's first film as director, he had already gained some experience with filmmaking as a screenwriter
for Zhang Ming (in 1996's Rain Clouds over Wushan
) and Zhang Yuan
(in 1999's Seventeen Years
). Seafood was produced independently by Thought Dance Entertainment and Zhu's own Zhu Wen Workshop.
The film depicts a self-destructive prostitute (Jin Ze) who attempts to commit suicide in a resort town by the sea. She is thwarted by a police officer (Cheng Taisheng) whose unorthodox methods of "rehabilitating" her consists of seafood and rape. As a result of the film's dark premise, Seafood has been called "one of the most transgressive visions of China...ever witnessed."
Never released in China, the film nevertheless was well received abroad, where it won numerous awards most notably at the 2001 Venice International Film Festival.
. When relationship problems with her boyfriend erupt, she flees to the resort city of Beidaihe
and takes a room in a small hotel where she contemplates committing suicide. There she meets a young poet. The next morning, she wakes and learns that the poet has slit his wrists.
When the police arrive, she meets Deng Jianguo (Cheng Taisheng), a middle-aged officer who questions her over the poet's death. Their relationship soon grows increasingly complicated as Deng learns of Xiaomei's plans to commit suicide. Over the course of several days, he takes her to eat seafood dinners, extolling the virtues and health benefits of the diet, including a claim that it makes him a more potent lover. When Xiaomei tries to commit suicide in a nearby town, she is thwarted by Deng who brings her back to Beidaihe and proceeds to rape her.
Xiaomei eventually leaves the seaside town for Beijing again.
. While some critics found the camerawork to be "routine" for the medium,, one shot in particular was filmed not by the cinematographer, Liu Yonghung, but by Zhu Wen himself. Zhu has stated in an interview that this constituted the first time he had ever touched a camera and that he was so pleased with the naturalistic effect, that he ended up keeping the shot.
(2004) within the state-run film system, so that he would have a work that he could show to family and friends.
The film did well in the film festival circuit, however, winning a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival's Cinema of the Present competition and a grand jury prize at Cinemanila. The film also screened at a handful of other major festivals, such as Karlovy Vary
, and Vancouver
(out of competition).
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
directed by the established writer Zhu Wen
Zhu Wen (director)
Zhu Wen is a Chinese short story writer turned director.-Early life and writing:Zhu Wen was born in 1967 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. He attended Southeast University in Nanjing, and graduated with a degree in electric power...
. Though Seafood was Zhu's first film as director, he had already gained some experience with filmmaking as a screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
for Zhang Ming (in 1996's Rain Clouds over Wushan
Rain Clouds over Wushan
Rain Clouds over Wushan is a 1995 Chinese film directed by Zhang Ming and written by Zhu Wen. The film follows the lives of two lonely people living in Wushan on the banks of the Yangtze River during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam.The satirical portrayal of rural life is considered part...
) and Zhang Yuan
Zhang Yuan
Zhang Yuan is a Chinese film director who has been described by film scholars as a pioneering member of China's Sixth Generation of filmmakers...
(in 1999's Seventeen Years
Seventeen Years (film)
Seventeen Years is a 1999 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yuan and starring Li Bingbing in her feature film debut. Seventeen Years was screened at several international film festivals where it garnered numerous accolades, including the Director's Award at the 56th Venice Film Festival.The film is...
). Seafood was produced independently by Thought Dance Entertainment and Zhu's own Zhu Wen Workshop.
The film depicts a self-destructive prostitute (Jin Ze) who attempts to commit suicide in a resort town by the sea. She is thwarted by a police officer (Cheng Taisheng) whose unorthodox methods of "rehabilitating" her consists of seafood and rape. As a result of the film's dark premise, Seafood has been called "one of the most transgressive visions of China...ever witnessed."
Never released in China, the film nevertheless was well received abroad, where it won numerous awards most notably at the 2001 Venice International Film Festival.
Plot
Zhang Xiaomei (Jin Ze), is a prostitute living in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. When relationship problems with her boyfriend erupt, she flees to the resort city of Beidaihe
Beidaihe
Beidaihe District is a district in Qinhuangdao municipality, Hebei province on the coast of the Bohai Sea in North China. It has an area of 70.14 square kilometers and a population of 66,000. is also known as a birding haven. The Beidaihe Beach Resort stretches 10 km from east to west, from...
and takes a room in a small hotel where she contemplates committing suicide. There she meets a young poet. The next morning, she wakes and learns that the poet has slit his wrists.
When the police arrive, she meets Deng Jianguo (Cheng Taisheng), a middle-aged officer who questions her over the poet's death. Their relationship soon grows increasingly complicated as Deng learns of Xiaomei's plans to commit suicide. Over the course of several days, he takes her to eat seafood dinners, extolling the virtues and health benefits of the diet, including a claim that it makes him a more potent lover. When Xiaomei tries to commit suicide in a nearby town, she is thwarted by Deng who brings her back to Beidaihe and proceeds to rape her.
Xiaomei eventually leaves the seaside town for Beijing again.
Production
Seafood was shot entirely on handheld digital videoDigital video
Digital video is a type of digital recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal.The terms camera, video camera, and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article.- History :...
. While some critics found the camerawork to be "routine" for the medium,, one shot in particular was filmed not by the cinematographer, Liu Yonghung, but by Zhu Wen himself. Zhu has stated in an interview that this constituted the first time he had ever touched a camera and that he was so pleased with the naturalistic effect, that he ended up keeping the shot.
Reception
Given the film's dark subject matter of rape and suicide, Zhu Wen had no illusions that the film would ever screen in his native China. In some ways, the inability to screen Seafood in China led Zhu to direct his second feature, South of the CloudsSouth of the Clouds
South of the Clouds is a 2003 Chinese film and the second film directed by the writer Zhu Wen. The film stands in stark contrast to Zhu's previous film. In terms of production, South of the Clouds received the cooperation of the state apparatus unlike 2001's Seafood which was an underground...
(2004) within the state-run film system, so that he would have a work that he could show to family and friends.
The film did well in the film festival circuit, however, winning a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival's Cinema of the Present competition and a grand jury prize at Cinemanila. The film also screened at a handful of other major festivals, such as Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of Europe's major film events....
, and Vancouver
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
(out of competition).
External links
- Seafood at the Chinese Movie Database