Three Chinese mainstream films will be competing with each other for its UK box-office.
The National Day holiday period (Oct 1 – 7) is one of the most important, highest-grossing windows for film distribution in China. This period is also common for films with nationalistic sentiment to be released, or a theme known as ‘main melody’ otherwise.
On Monday September 30, The Climbers, The Captain and My People, My Country will be released officially in China. At the moment, according to Maoyan’s professional statistics, the number of interest in these three films are 504,209, 490,115 and 472,344 [21:52 GMT, September 26]. Each of its domestic box-office is also expected to go beyond 1 billion RMB.
Most films in China now have a state encouraged ‘mission’ to go abroad, as a strategy to expand its soft power to compete with Hollywood. As a result, these three films have also secured a limited release in the UK (as a service). By prediction, majority of the audience will be Chinese students, diaspora with Chinese heritage, quite possibly their partners and extended family. While most of these films are context specific and with subtitles, it is unlikely for them to attract local mainstream cinema-goers. Critically, none of the major UK papers have made a noise, so far.
While the UK audience might not be too familiar with the genre of ‘main melody’ film, My People, My Country includes a section on the history of UK-China relations, particularly about the negotiation on Hong Kong’s return to China (directed by Xue Xiaolu). This history from China’s perspective is not usually told/available in Britain. For those who are intrigued or at least with a more comparative mindset, you have one week for your curiosity to be entertained at your local Odeon.
For your further information, two of these three very “nationalistic” films are directed by Hong Kong filmmakers, both were born in British Hong Kong.
Whether contemporary Chinese film industry is yet in a position to compete with Hollywood, we will leave it to the audience to decide.
The Climbers (2019) | Dir. Daniel Lee
Release date: September 30th 2019
UK Distributor: Cine Asia, Trinity
Cities: Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton
Cinemas: Cineworld & Odeon
Synopsis: May 1960. Mount Everest, the second step under the cliff. The four members of the China Everest Climbing Commando are attacking the most difficult and most difficult “second step”. This is their fifth assault. The first four failures have cost them too much physical strength, but they are determined to try again.
The Captain (2019) | Dir. Andrew Lau
Release date: September 30th 2019
UK Distributor: Cine Asia, Trinity
Cities: Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton
Cinemas: Cineworld & Odeon
Synopsis: The actual incident occurred on May 14th 2018 morning at 30,000 feet on Sichuan Airlines flight 3U8633 from the southern city of Chongqing to Lhasa. About 40 minutes after the Airbus A319 flight took off at 6:27a.m. local time (10:27 GMT), the cockpit windshield shattered and flung the aircraft into a state of low pressure with a temperature at minus 30 to minus 40 degree Celsius over the Tibetan Plateau. The clock was ticking and strong-willed Captain Liu Chuan Jian was determined to get out of danger and bring everyone home safe.
My People, My Country (2019) | Dir. Chen Kaige, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Zhang Yibai, Xuzheng, Ning Hao, Huang Jianxin, Wen Muye
Release date: October 1st 2019
UK Distributor: Guang Hua Media Ltd.
Cities: Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Oxford, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton
Cinema: Odeon
Synopsis: An anthology film consist of 7 short stories directed by several different directors, which are based on 7 moments since the founding of People’s Republic of China.
