Chinese cinema was on the agenda as BAFTA in conjunction with Filming East Festival held screenings of both feature length films and shorts.

The Longest Night in Shanghai

'The Longest Night in Shanghai' opened the proceedings. The film certainly starts off quite promising as you are introduced to a number of quirky, funny and interesting characters. Much of the main emphasis is on the interaction between celebrity make up artist Mizushima Naoki (Masahiro Motoki) and female taxi driver Lin Xi (Vicky Zhao). It's an easy call to try to label this film as a Chinese wanabee 'Lost in Translation'. Twinkling, lovingly tended and alluring shots of night time Shanghai are nicely presented as we see characters basking in philosophical glows. But ultimately the movie feels a little too contrived to ever totally satisfy.

The soundtrack was ironic in it's habitual over sentimental cheesy overuse which even led to the 'visit Shanghai' tourist board shots; bordering on the repetitive. 'The Longest Night in Shanghai' was very much dull ships that pass in the night.

Again, if this was an ironic take on the innocent, vacuous nature of the characters and some kind of cultural comment, it worked on that level but on any other it was just downright annoying. Before you take my word as gospel, I should add that I also found the movie interesting, if not wholly satisfying on an entertaining level.

Wheat

The second movie on the day was Wheat, a film about a town where the women are left behind as the men have gone off to war. Two deserters from a rival enemy camp arrive at the town pretending to be victorious heroes. When a group of bandits try to take over the town it starts a chain of events that will test the resolve of the community and reveal the true identities of the men.

The film is not without some merit in its depiction of the brutality and futility of war and fierce tribal antagonisms. At just under two hours long the pace of the movie, given its slow moving nature, did not feel laboured; a testament to the editing and direction. Wheat was riveting and compelling to watch.

www.filmingeast.org/

www.bafta.org/

Written by Sav D'Souza