'Chollywood' goes arty
The re-emergence of Chinese films on festival circuits may point to parallel growth of art-house cinema along with the nation's booming film industry, writes Raymond Zhou.
The winning of the top prize at a prestigious international film festival by a Chinese submission may speak as much about the state of Chinese cinema as the international perception of a certain body of Chinese work.
The surprise ending of Black Coal, Thin Ice, a yet-to-be released film by a little-known Chinese auteur, taking home the coveted Golden Bear at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival has filled the home audience with more perplexity than euphoria. Of the three movies selected for the main competition of the festival, No Man's Land by Ning Hao has already become a critical and commercial darling in its home market, and Blind Massage, though not yet released, is adapted from an award-winning best-seller. To most Chinese, Black Coal, Thin Ice had been an unknown quantity heavily discounted in crystal-ball gazing for award results.
