DIALECTS AND THE CITY

With its distinctive pronunciation, Shanghai dialect is perhaps one of the most difficult regional linguistic practices, and one that often discourages outsiders. In that sense, Shao Yihui－a 1990s-born native of North China's Shanxi province－has seemingly created a "miracle" with her directorial debut, B for Busy.

The movie, a Shanghai-set tale with a strong cast, mainly consisting of local stars that speak their lines in the city's dialect, has soared at the box office as we near the end of the Year of the Ox, making it one of the industry's dark horses with ticket sales currently sitting around 250 million yuan ($39.5 million)－quite a good performance for a film of such a modest scale.

Earning 8.3 points out of 10 on the popular review aggregator Douban, the highest score of all domestic live-action movies on the site last year, many people online say it's a feel-good movie, with its catchy dialogue, delicate examination of middle age and the glittering light it casts on Shanghai's distinctive reputation as a cosmopolitan metropolis being the production's big draws.

Set in downtown Shanghai, the film unfolds as Lao Bai－an idle artist who makes a living by teaching drawing at home－starts to develop feelings for Ms Li, an advertising industry veteran who lives alone with her young daughter after divorcing her British ex-husband. But the protagonist's plan to spend a romantic night with Ms Li is disturbed by several unexpected visitors, resulting in a series of amusing situations.

A graduate majoring in literature from Beijing Film Academy, Shao recalls that she wrote the script in 2019, five years after moving from the Chinese capital to Shanghai, having led a life as a freelancer.

In 2020, Shao sent the script to a project selecting potential works for the 14th FIRST International Film Festival, one of the country's most influential events to help young talent pursue their movie dreams.

Luckily, the tale hooked Chen Lizhi, founder of Beijing-based movie company Max Times, who managed to persuade Xu Zheng, one of China's most commercially successful filmmakers, to play the protagonist and also serve as the movie's executive producer.

"When receiving the call, I was so surprised. I even thought for a moment it might be a joke," recalls Shao with a giggle, explaining that she couldn't believe she could be so lucky to get to cooperate with such a famous actor on her directorial debut.

Her suspicions were soon dispelled. A week later, she arranged to meet Xu. A Shanghai native, some of his best known blockbusters－Lost in Russia and My People, My Parents－feature the city as their backdrop.

"I was very nervous, even failing to clearly recount my tale, but Xu is very nice and patient. He gave me an important suggestion, noting that the story should still be alluring and relatable even if it doesn't take place in Shanghai, in the same way that many of Woody Allen's films would still be compelling, even if they were not set in New York," says Shao.

Describing herself as a curious outsider, Shao says it has given her an objective perspective to examine what has led Shanghai and its locals to shape a distinctive chapter in China's cultural landscape－widely regarded as "chic, diverse and cosmopolitan".

However, instead of the famous jutting skyscrapers of the city's financial center, the Lujiazui area, Shao believes it is the Hengshan Road-Fuxing Road section, a historical and cultural area, where she has rented a small residence, that has provided her with the most inspiration, as it is more "livable and relaxed".

As the largest preserved area in Shanghai, the neighborhood, which formed between the late 1910s and early 1940s, boasts a lot of Western-style architecture, tree-lined streets and typical local houses, epitomizing the city's unique character that merges the East and the West.

After making friends with some locals, Shao says she has discovered that some of them possess one or two properties to ensure they are capable of leading a life of leisure.

"Most of my friends don't have a lot of money, but they are seemingly born with the gift to lead a chic life, ranging from cooking delicious foods to selecting affordable yet quality products," says Shao.

The film's protagonist Lao Bai, and his closest friend Lao Wu, an old-school gentleman, are both inspired by two friends of Shao, but the director says she has imprinted part of herself onto the two characters, making their personalities more appealing to female viewers.

In the film, Lao Bai is sort of a Renaissance man. Aside from drawing, he excels at cooking and sees himself as a musician, playing the djembe, an African drum, during spare time. Lao Wu is his hospitable neighbor who is passionate about organizing a solo art exhibition to showcase Lao Bai's talent. Lao Wu also likes to brag about his reputation as a lover, with most of his former romantic interests hailing from foreign countries.

With the film's Mandarin title alluding to Italian director Federico Fellini's 1969 fantasy drama Fellini Satyricon, Shao says Italy is a romantic destination, inspiring her to invoke the country's iconic celebrities－including the legendary actress Sophia Loren－to add a sense of romance to her film.

With the film still accumulating plaudits online via "word-of-mouth", a lot of critics regard it as having revived the fading allure of "Hai Pai (Shanghai-style)" culture, an infusion of the East and the West that has shaped the unique character of Shanghai.