China Behind
Dir / Scr: Tang Shu-shuen
Cast: Tsang Kei-luk, Poon Yu-man,Siu Siu-ling, Fung Bo-yin
1974 / Colour (Partial B/W) / 35mm / Mandarin & Cantonese / Chi & Eng subtitles / 92min
Cast: Tsang Kei-luk, Poon Yu-man,Siu Siu-ling, Fung Bo-yin
1974 / Colour (Partial B/W) / 35mm / Mandarin & Cantonese / Chi & Eng subtitles / 92min
The first of its kind in Chinese cinema, this compelling portrait and critique of the Cultural Revolution was a telling testament to the director's resolve to act upon her sense of duty to history. Set against a time of political turmoil and unrest which saw vast numbers of mainlanders flee to the safe sanctuary of Hong Kong just over the border, Tang's story is a fable of disillusionment, about realising that the grass is not always greener on the other side. What Tang could not achieve due to constraints of various natures she more than made up for in style and flair: raw, edgy documentary-style cinematography, symbolic visual and sound effects and a remarkable knack for getting compelling performances from her non-actors. Wong recalled how Tang eschewed the local practice of committing to a shot list – the shot-by-shot breakdown of each scene – in favour of the Western approach of a multiple-camera setup that offers alternative camera angles and allows greater creativity and expression in the editing room.