まるでお祭り!? 台湾のアゲアゲお葬式を描いた大ヒット作が日本上陸
マイクをつけて過剰に泣き叫ぶ泣き女はインパクト大
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国が変われば文化も変わる。当然、死者の弔い方も宗教や風習などにより世界各地で多種多様だ。それは日本の隣にある台湾も例外ではない。そんなびっ くりするような葬式事情を軸に、亡くなった父との最後の7日間を描き、本国ではロングランヒットとなった台湾のヒューマンドラマ『父の初七日』が日本に上 陸。3月3日(土)より公開される。
監督も務めたエッセイ・リウの著書「父後七日」を原作に、これまであまり触れられなかった台湾の葬式を描いた本作。台北で働く主人公の女性が、突然 の父の訃報で帰省し、兄や親戚と共に死後7日間に行われる父を送るための数々の伝統儀式をこなしていくというストーリーがテンポよく展開していく。“父の 死”という重くなりがちなテーマを扱っているにも関わらず、突然の死にあたふたする人々の姿はどこかコミカルで、暗さは感じられない。それどころか、棺に 故人が生前愛用(？)したヌードグラビアを入れようとしたり、遺影用の写真が見当たらず、カラオケの時に撮影した写真を強引に合成しようとしたりと、思わ ず突っ込みたくなるエピソードが盛りだくさんだ。
なかでも注目なのが、台湾ならではの伝統的な葬式事情だ。遺族は儒教のしきたりによって決まった時に棺のそばで泣かなければならないのだが、食事中 でも、歯を磨いている時でも、急に呼び出されて泣くことを命じられるドタバタぶりは、これが葬式？と驚かされてしまう。さらに告別式には楽隊や芸人が現わ れて、派手な演奏をしたり歌ったりと、馴染みのない人から見ると、ちょっとどうかと思うほどのにぎやかさ。それらの儀式に翻弄される遺族の様子もユーモア にあふれている。また、儒教の影響が強い中国や台湾、朝鮮半島などでは、葬儀に出席して派手に泣き叫ぶことを生業にしている“泣き女”が存在することが知 られているが、本作に登場する泣き女もかなりのインパクトなので必見だ。
そんな驚愕の儀式の数々の後にやってくる父との最後の別れ。ふとした何気ない瞬間に、失った寂しさがよみがえる様には、笑って見ていた人も思わずホ ロリとさせられる感動的な仕上がりとなっている。文化は違えど、亡くなった人への思いは変わらない、普遍的なものなのだと改めて感じさせてくれる本作。是 非とも切なくも可笑しい物語を味わってもらいたい。【トライワークス】
http://www.taiwancinefest.com/#films
UK Premiere, 7 days in Heaven - Thursday 6.40pm, 26th May, Apollo Cinema (Drama/Comedy)
The Hollywood Reporter
Director: Wang Yu-lin and Essay Liu
Cast: Wang Li-Wen, Wu Tai-po, Chen Cha-Shiang, 92 mins, English Subtitles, Colour, Taiwan 2010
Of Note: No 2 local film (behind "Monga") at the Taiwanese box office
The Story:With a mood ranging from uproariously funny - a Taiwanese Daoist priest performs solemn rites to the accelerating beat of "Hava Nagila" - to wistfully sad, Essay Liu and Wang Yu-lin's funeral comedy brings the colour and absurdity of rural Taiwan religious rituals to vivid life.
When adult daughter Mei returns to her father's village for his funeral, she encounters a tightly-knit community of family and some odd neighbours (the smoothly professional mourning weeper, the self-promoting politician). Together with her brother Da-zhi and cousin Zhuang, they work through the exhausting, but strangely comforting, seven-day long traditional funeral observance. Although the traditions look foreign, even strange to us, the feelings underlying them are universal.
As the directors say: "At one point or another, everyone faces the hardship of losing a loved one. Especially for people from central and southern Taiwan, excessive formalities associated with funereal traditions are the accepted occasional doses of drama in life. Taoist priests, professional weepers, scripture-chanting troupes... All are quintessential Taiwanese; yet they possess a certain taboo, so that most people approach them with fearful reverence. What if these aforementioned professions, items, and equipment become the main characters in drama? What if they are allowed to express and perform what and who they are, even in comedic ways, what would that be like? Simply put, Seven Days in Heaven wishes for the audience to laugh, curse, cry scenes with which they are familiar, and more importantly, in which to find their own stories."UK Premiere, No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti - Friday 5.45pm, 27th May, Birkbeck Cinema (Drama)
Director: Leon Dai
Cast: Chen Wen-Pin, Chao Yo-Hsuan, Liu Chin-Ju, 92 mins, English Subtitles, Black and white, Taiwan 2009
Of Note: Taiwan's official entry into the 2009 Academy Awards for best foreign language film
The Story:A father's love for his child is unconditional, a bond that can't be broken. But sometimes government bureaucracy can interfere. Li Wu-hisung lives in a harbor zone in Taiwan with his small daughter. He doesn't have a job, so he takes on risky tasks on boats to earn money. When he tries to do the right thing and enroll his daughter in a school, the government decides it's in the child's best interest to remove her from his care. The title of the film, which translates to I can't live without you, becomes evident once the man's daughter is taken from him. He does everything he can to get her back, leading to a desperate standoff in front of the media and the world. Shot with an amazingly controlled sense of composition, actor-turned-director Leon Dai delivers a thoughtful and well-rounded film. With strong visuals filmed in beautiful black and white, this is an emotional and satisfying film. Based on a true story, it conveys a quest of love that knows no bounds. Though it would be easy to judge the father based on his economic standing, the purity of his emotion carries the film and makes him sympathetic to even the most jaded audience member.
UK Premiere, Monga - Friday 7.10pm, 27th May, Birkbeck Cinema & Saturday 5.45pm, 28th May, Birkbeck Cinema (Action/Gangster/Drama)
Variety
Director: Doze, Niu Chen-Zer
Cast: Ethan Juan, Mark Chao, Ma Ju-lung, Ko Chia-yen, 140 mins, English Subtitles, Colour, Taiwan 2010, 15
Of Note:
Screened in the 60th Berlin International Film Festival in its Panorama section
Won Best Asian Award at Hawaii International Film Festival
Made more money than Avatar in its opening week in Taiwan
China Daily voted it one of the best Chinese language films of 2010
Taiwan's official entry into the 2010 Academy Awards for best foreign language film, 2010 Berlin Film Festival
Writer/director Doze Niu presents a Taiwanese twist on the epic gangster film. Named after the Taipei district in which it is set, MONGA depicts the troubled lives of five young street thugs coming of age in 1980s Taiwan. When the local crime boss' son Dragon (Rhydian Vaughan) and his sidekick Monk (Ethan Ruan) invite Mosquito (Mark Chao) to be a part of their Prince Gang, Mosquito discovers an irresistible world of friendship and brotherhood. However, Mosquito soon discovers that in this violent world things aren't always what they seem. When a group of mainlanders attempt to take over Monga, the fragile balance over the district's turf is threatened, friendship is tested, and loyalty is questioned.
Doze Niu both directed and co-wrote MONGA, while appearing in the film as mainland gangster Grey Wolf. MONGA also notably features star performances by several rising young Taiwanese actors including pop-star Ethan Ruan and Mark Chao. This tale of loyalty, honor, and betrayal may follow in a long line of gangster film classics, but Niu adds a unique flavor with a Taiwanese kick.
UK Premiere, Love in Disguise - Saturday 8.00pm, 28th May, Birkbeck Cinema
(Romance/Comedy)
Director: Wang Leehom
Cast: Chen Han Dian, Joan Chen, Liu Yi Fei, Wang Leehom 90 mins, English Subtitles, Colour, Taiwan 2010, 12 (tbc)
Of Note:
Wang leehom's directorial debut The highest grossing film in Mainland China from a first time director You may have seen Wang Leehom in Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" and opposite Jackie Chan in "Little Big Soldier"
The Story:
A famous pop star (Wang Lee Hom) disguises himself as an average Joe to find his true love. When he finds a young student (Crystal Liu), he then struggles to find back his true identity and confront the woman he loves.
After some high-profile roles on the big screen (Ang Lee's Lust, Caution and Jackie Chan blockbuster Little Big Soldier), Taiwan pop king Leehom Wang achieves a major breakthrough in his cinematic career with Love in Disguise. Making his movie directorial debut and co-writing the script, Leehom puts his talent in finding resonance with the audience to good use through the visual media. The superstar doesn't leave his idol charisma idle either, taking the lead role in the romantic comedy with co-stars Liu Yifei (The Forbidden Kingdom), Qiao Zhenyu (Confucius), Chen Han Tien (Monga), and "Super Girl" singer-songwriter Zeng Yike. Renowned actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) makes a vital supporting appearance and there are some unexpected star cameos, too.
(Roma
倫敦台灣電影節 多部強片登場 【2011/5/17 07:55】
台灣電影節由駐英國台北代表處與倫敦CinefestProductions合作舉辦，開幕片在位於倫敦市中心的Apollo Piccadilly戲院播映，劉梓潔將出席開幕酒會，同時在影片播放後與現場觀眾進行問答。
「父後七日」取材自台灣獨特的喪葬風俗，並捕捉住那些荒誕俗麗、令人哭笑不得的片刻，是一部營造生死對比的黑色幽默喜劇。
本片除獲邀參加2010年加拿大溫哥華影展、日本福岡影展、香港電影節等多項國際影展，並獲第47屆金馬獎「最佳男配角」及「最佳改編劇本」。
其它3部劇情片包括演而優則導的戴立忍所執導的「不能沒有你」，敘述一個在港邊討生活的男子與他7歲的非婚生女兒因法律問題所產生患難與共的親密感，全片充滿溫暖及關懷，獲金馬獎「最佳劇情片」、「最佳導演」等5項大獎肯定。
另外還有紐承澤執導、阮經天及趙又廷主演的「艋舺」，不僅票房突破新台幣2億5000萬元，也受到德國柏林影展、日本東京影展等國際影展青睞，及金馬獎「最佳男主角」等三項大獎的肯定。
另一部則是創作歌手王力宏挑戰大銀幕的導演處女作「戀愛通告」，並擔綱演出男主角，與大陸女星劉亦菲及金馬影后陳沖有精彩對手戲，是一部充滿年輕人活力及結合音樂元素的青春勵志喜劇電影。
這3部影片將分別於27日及28日2天在倫敦大學Birkbeck戲院放映。
27日在倫敦大學Goldsmiths學院辦理「New Talent Showcase」單元，放映台灣新秀導演拍攝的8部短片。有關「台灣電影節」活動相關資訊，有興趣的民眾可以影展官方網站 www.taiwancinefest.com。
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