Cala, My Dog!
Encyclopedia
Cala, My Dog! is a 2002 Chinese comedy film directed by Lu Xuechang
. The film had its world premiere at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival
and its Chinese release a week earlier on February 2, 2003. The film follows a blue-collar worker
(Ge You
) in Beijing as he attempts to acquire a dog license in 18 hours for his beloved unlicensed Cala. The film was co-produced by the successful film director Feng Xiaogang
.
Though a comedy, Cala, My Dog! moves at a subdued pace. Despite this, during its world premiere in Berlin, sales agents from Celestial Pictures
billed the film as a more zany, traditional comedy.
) lives a humdrum life as a laborer in Beijing
with his wife Yu Lan (Ding Jiali), his son Liangliang (Li Bin) and his beloved dog, Cala. Lao Er's life is thrown into turmoil when the government in an effort to control rabies, decrees that all unlicensed dogs are to be cast out of the city. When Cala is confiscated during an evening walk, the police give Lao Er eighteen hours until 4:00 in the afternoon of the next day to obtain a license for 5000 RMB ($600), an exorbitant amount of money for a worker in Lao Er's position.
Lao Er, determined to get his dog back, sends his son to coerce an uncle working in the pound to get the dog back. When that fails, he goes to his neighbor (Li Qinqin) in order to use her dog's license to trick the pound. When that too fails, Lao Er becomes desperate, all while dealing with a wife who becomes increasingly jealous over his visits to his neighbor, and a son who is arrested after getting into a fight...
Lu Xuechang
Lu Xuechang is a sixth generation Chinese film director. One of a new crop of talented filmmakers, Lu has directed four feature films beginning with his debut, The Making of Steel in 1997....
. The film had its world premiere at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
and its Chinese release a week earlier on February 2, 2003. The film follows a blue-collar worker
Blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
(Ge You
Ge You
Ge You is an acclaimed Mainland Chinese actor. A native of Beijing, he is considered by many to be one of the most recognizable acting personalities in the Mainland...
) in Beijing as he attempts to acquire a dog license in 18 hours for his beloved unlicensed Cala. The film was co-produced by the successful film director Feng Xiaogang
Feng Xiaogang
Feng Xiaogang , in is a Chinese film director. He is famous in China as being perhaps the most successful "commercialized" filmmaker whose comedy films do consistently well in the box office, although Feng has attempted to break out from that mold by making drama or period drama films...
.
Though a comedy, Cala, My Dog! moves at a subdued pace. Despite this, during its world premiere in Berlin, sales agents from Celestial Pictures
Celestial Pictures
Celestial Pictures is a diversified entertainment company focusing on Asian-language film and television content including production, aggregation, distribution and the operation of TV channels....
billed the film as a more zany, traditional comedy.
Plot
Lao Er (Ge YouGe You
Ge You is an acclaimed Mainland Chinese actor. A native of Beijing, he is considered by many to be one of the most recognizable acting personalities in the Mainland...
) lives a humdrum life as a laborer in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
with his wife Yu Lan (Ding Jiali), his son Liangliang (Li Bin) and his beloved dog, Cala. Lao Er's life is thrown into turmoil when the government in an effort to control rabies, decrees that all unlicensed dogs are to be cast out of the city. When Cala is confiscated during an evening walk, the police give Lao Er eighteen hours until 4:00 in the afternoon of the next day to obtain a license for 5000 RMB ($600), an exorbitant amount of money for a worker in Lao Er's position.
Lao Er, determined to get his dog back, sends his son to coerce an uncle working in the pound to get the dog back. When that fails, he goes to his neighbor (Li Qinqin) in order to use her dog's license to trick the pound. When that too fails, Lao Er becomes desperate, all while dealing with a wife who becomes increasingly jealous over his visits to his neighbor, and a son who is arrested after getting into a fight...
Cast
- Ge YouGe YouGe You is an acclaimed Mainland Chinese actor. A native of Beijing, he is considered by many to be one of the most recognizable acting personalities in the Mainland...
as Lao Er, the film's protagonist, Lao Er, a poor worker in Beijing, is seeking to get his dog Cala back after it is taken away for being unlicensed. - Ding Jiali as Yu Lan, Lao Er's wife.
- Li Bin as Liangliang, Lao Er's son.
- Li Qinqin as Yang Li, Lao Er's neighbor and friend; her dog is the mother of Cala.
- Xia YuXia YuXia Yu is a Chinese actor.-Biography:He was born in Qingdao, Shandong Province. He was initially discovered by Jiang Wen during his semi-autobiographical film In the Heat of the Sun . Xia was chosen partly because of facial resemblance to a young Jiang...
as the police officer. - Fu BiaoFu BiaoFu Biao was a famous Chinese actor.-Biography:Fu Biao was born in the family of an army officer on September 27, 1963, in Beijing. After graduating from high school, he entered a film academy in Beijing to learn acting. As a film actor, he acted for the first time in the Shanghai Triad...
as Yang Li's ex-husband.
See also
- The Story of Qiu JuThe Story of Qiu JuThe Story of Qiu Ju is a 1992 Chinese comedy-drama film. The film was directed by Zhang Yimou and, as in many of his films, stars Gong Li in the title role. The screenplay is an adaption of Chen Yuanbin's novella The Wan Family's Lawsuit....
— Zhang YimouZhang YimouZhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
's 1992 satire presents another view on Chinese bureaucracy, admittedly one from an earlier decade.
External links
- Cala, My Dog! from the Chinese Movie Database