A New Old Play + Qiu Jiongjiong Virtual Q&A

This screening will be followed by a live Q&A with its director Qiu Jiongjiong via Zoom from Hong Kong.

Presented by Sine Screen as part of our Whose Homeland extended programme which continues to explore ideas of migration, diaspora identity and home with stories created by Chinese and Chinese mixed heritage filmmakers. A New Old Play is an imaginative historical epic created by Qiu Jiongjiong, which is perhaps the most important film in Chinese independent cinema in the past decade. The turbulent political landscape in 20th century China dramatized in the film opens up interesting dialogues with the history of Chinese immigration, offering an alternative perspective on the overseas diaspora communities. The leading "clown" role in a renowned theatre troupe passes on, and is welcomed into the Underworld. As he relives his vivid memories one last time before entering the afterlife, fifty years of art, struggle and love play out against the background of 20th-century China’s tumultuous history.

邱炯炯，1977年生于中国四川乐山，中国当代艺术家和导演。 电影作品包括2部纪录短片《彩排记》（2008）、《黄老老拍案》（2009），4部纪录长片《大酒楼》（2007）、《姑奶奶》（2010）、《萱堂闲话录》（2011）、《痴》（2015）及1部剧情长片《椒麻堂会》（2021）。生动的方言对白、极具舞台感的场景调度、漫画式的人物刻画等元素构成了邱炯炯独特的电影语法。 邱炯炯的早期影片多次入选中国独立影像年度展十佳影片。《痴》入围洛迦诺电影节、MoMA国际纪录片双周等国际影展。首部剧情长片《椒麻堂会》获得洛迦诺电影节评委会大奖、香港国际电影节火鸟大奖最佳影片以及FIPRESCI国际影评人联盟奖、南特三大洲青年评审团奖等诸多奖项。

QIU Jiongjiong (born 1977) is an active contemporary artist and filmmaker in China. As an artist, his works have been exhibited all over the world. As a filmmaker, his experiments with cinematic language and aesthetics in documentary film-making have earned him a reputation as one of China's most important independent directors. His experimental/documentary feature MR. ZHANG BELIEVES (2015), premiered at Locarno Film Festival and has been screened internationally. A NEW OLD PLAY(2021) as his first fiction feature, won Special Jury Prize at Locarno, Firebird Award for Best Film and FIPRESCI Prize at HKIFF and Young Jury Award at Festival des 3 Continents among others.