Moonlight Shadow Wall, an arthouse film which has earned recognition overseas, recently held a special screening in Beijing, gathering hundreds of audience and industry insiders.
With former China Central Television's deputy
It tugs on the heartstrings whilst looking into the lives of three families; a barber and his adopted son with autism; a native trying his best to support the teenager daughter, a music enthusiast; and a shadow puppetry artist who has a tension with his grandson.
The film also features the iconic Xi'an City Wall - one of the country's largest and best-preserved ancient defenses - as a cultural symbol, the movie demonstrates how ordinary people's lives are interwoven with the societal transformation brought on by China's reform and opening-up policy. The movie contains a lot of local culture, ranging from Qinqiang Opera singing to delicacies exclusive to the city.
Director Ma, a native born in Xi'an, says the movie marks her deep love to her hometown, a city with a long history specifically known for some world-renowned relics like the Terra Cotta Warriors. Currently, the movie has won a string of awards overseas, including Best Feature in the Frankfurt Film Festival last year, and sweeping three awards - the Jury Award, Best New Director and Best Supporting Actor - at the ninth Vancouver Chinese Film Festival in 2021.
Li Aimin, deputy chairman of Shaanxi Film Association, said the movie has demonstrated how Chinese people hold their optimistic spirit when pursuing a promising life, a value that is shaped in the country's traditional cultures.
Zhang Rong, a literature professor with Xi'an Jiaotong University, said the movie takes a poetic narration to delve into the city's history and tradition, chronicling how people's minds are changed in line with the shifting era, giving the tale the distinctive strength and depth.
