2017-03-08 Mai Xiang Beijing International Film Festival Beijing Screening Unit
, American director Ira Sachs, who gradually came into the eyes of movie fans with "Light Up" and "Love Is Weird", brought his latest work last year— -"Little People" (2016). Different from the previous two works, the protagonists of "Little Man" are two junior high school students with very different personalities. This is a story about how to grow up.
The lonely little Jack moved into his grandfather's house after his grandfather passed away, and soon became good friends with the enthusiastic and cheerful Tony who rented downstairs. The two listened to each other's dreams, gave serious advice, talked about girls of the same age, and agreed to take the same high school. However, due to disputes between the interests of the two adults, the communication between the two children was prevented.
A seemingly simple incident swept the two families, and the entire film's perspective has been wandering between the two children and the vague sense of morality of the adult. The valuable thing is that each character's choice has given a reasonable explanation. Just like the two children in the story, while clinging to the hard-won friendship and fighting against their parents, while witnessing their parents' struggle, they softened their hearts.
In order to describe growth, Richard Linklater used a twelve years to shoot a "Boyhood", and Ella Sachs in less than 90 minutes, in the trivial daily life, watch Some fragments were picked out seemingly inadvertently. When Jack listened to Tony talking about girls, he had some feelings he had never had before. In the end, the tears of having to accept the parents' choice, and the halting when meeting Tony again at the end.
It is these small emotions that prompted him to make a choice, usher in growth after helplessness and letting go, and also give the film weight.
People often compare the director to the American version of Hirokazu Ee. Indeed, similar to Hirokazu’s work, this "Little Man" also captures and describes a lot of subtle emotions. The picture is refreshing and clean, with a hint of joy under the natural light. Anger, sorrow and joy passed by, like a spring rain without a trace, but there is no moisture in the bottom of my heart.
Coincidentally, at the 7th Beijing International Film Festival, there is another film that also puts the perspective on children, that is, "The Secret of Life" (2017), which just won the special award of the Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Bear Award ), the film was written and directed by the famous Japanese female director Naoko Ogigami (representative work "Seagull Canteen", etc.).
"The Secrets of Life" mainly tells the story of a little girl who was almost abandoned by her mother, her uncle Mu Nan and his girlfriend Rinko (played by Toma Ikuta) living together. One thing that is different is that his uncle's daughter My friend Rinko is a transgender person.
From the perspective of a child, the film records the words and deeds of the gentle and kind Rinko. She uses practical actions to care for and protect the injured child, eliminate the prejudice caused by the child due to the unknown, and let the child gradually grow into a tolerant And understanding girl.
It's such a story that sounds a bit curious, and it is blended by the director with real emotions and fresh lens language.
Little friends grow up in the process of breaking through the world's vision and consolidating their hearts again and again, bringing overwhelming power at the quiet end, easily hitting the softest place in people's hearts. Written by the
publicity team of the 7th Beijing International Film Festival of China Film Archive
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Edited by Mai Xiang / Guo Zhou
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