The Chinese film BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY (SIFF PROJECT 2018), written and directed by Lin Jianjie, starring Zu Feng, Guo Keyu, Sun Xilun, and Lin Muran, and produced by Lou Ying, Zheng Yue, and Wang Yiwen, has been selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival, and recently had its world premiere. The film has also been chosen for the Panorama section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY is the first Chinese director's debut film to be shortlisted for both the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival since 2006.
This project was finalized for the NEW TALENT PROJECT unit of SIFF PROJECT in 2018, making its first appearance in the industry and winning the "Best Young Director Project" award. As of now, 70 films that have been shortlisted for SIFF PROJECT and completed production have entered major film festivals, and among them, 46 films are found to be the finalists of international competitive feature film festivals. The application for this session of SIFF PROJECT is currently underway.
Poster of BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY
BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY tells the seemingly calm life of Tu Wein's family disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious boy. The advent of a mysterious boy, Yan Shuo, causes the power triangle between Tu Wei and his parents to fall apart. In the process of self-regulation and searching for a new balance point in this family, unknown desires and secrets, as well as tensions and veiled emotions beneath the surface of daily life, are released. It blurs the boundaries between space, interpersonal relationships, and emotions. The meaning of home is also redefined.
The selector of the Sundance Film Festival noted that the film brings a distinctive and captivating style, and it uniquely captures the characters' psychology and social identity, as a delightful new voice standing for Chinese-language films on the world stage.
Still from BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY
This film brings together four powerful performers: Zu Feng, Guo Keyu, Sun Xilun, and Lin Muran. Zu Feng, the male lead, has previously starred in LURK, ODE TO JOY, THE PAVILION, and other outstanding films, and has been nominated for various major film festivals. Guo Keyu has previously played roles in works such as RED CHERRY and TIANANMEN, and has won awards such as the Best Actress at SIFF and the Best Actress at the Hundred Flowers Awards. Staying out of the spotlight for years, Guo Keyu returns to the big screen through this film. The young actor, Sun Xilun, has participated in multiple film and television works such as PING-PONG OF CHINA and LOOKING UP, while Lin Muran has appeared in films such as DETECTIVE CHINATOWN and THE LOST TOMB. In this film, Lin Muran's sincere performance and Sun Xilun's mysterious and introverted character create a distinct contrast, making the scenes between the two particularly captivating.
Director Lin Jianjie's presentation at SIFF PROJECT
BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY is the first feature film directed by Lin Jianjie. Lin Jianjie graduated from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Previously, his short film GU was shortlisted in the competition section of the Foyle Film Festival in the UK and had its domestic premiere at Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival. His short film A VISIT has participated in more than ten international film festivals and has been released in Japan.
Director Lin Jianjie (center) and producers Zheng Yue (left) and Wang Yiwen (right) in presentation at the SIFF PROJECT
In 2018, director Lin Jianjie and his team brought their film BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY to SIFF PROJECT at the 21st SIFF and won the "Best Young Director Project" award for their precise perspective and well-knit story, exploring the impact of China's two-child policy on modern families through the shell of a genre film with keen eyes of the director, as commented by the juries.
Director Lin Jianjie (left) and lead actor Lin Muran (right) on the set of the filming
Following the SIFF PROJECT, BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY received funding support from the 2020 Film Paris Region, the 2021 aides aux cinémas du monde and the Danish Finance Institute. In January 2022, BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY started filming in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. In 2023, the film was shortlisted for the Hong Kong International Film Festival's WIP program and won the "HAF Goes to Cannes" award.
The Sundance Film Festival, founded in 1984, is the largest independent film festival in the world. The SIFF PROJECT entry LATE SPRING (SIFF PROJECT 2021) was selected for the Sundance Lab in 2022. The Berlin International Film Festival is one of the international competitive film festivals, along with the Cannes International Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival, known as the three major international film festivals in the world. The project Black Coal, Thin Ice (SIFF PROJECT 2010) won the Best Film and Best Actor awards at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2014. A total of 9 SIFF PROJECT works, including BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY, have been shortlisted for the film festival.
BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and will make its first appearance in Europe at the Berlin International Film Festival in February this year. The film is scheduled to be released domestically in 2024 to meet the domestic audience. Stay tuned.
The SIFF PROJECT of the 26th SIFF has been launched, and welcome to apply now!
