South of the Clouds is a 2003 Chinese film and the second film directed by the writer Zhu Wen

Zhu Wen (director)

Zhu Wen is a Chinese short story writer turned director.-Early life and writing:Zhu Wen was born in 1967 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. He attended Southeast University in Nanjing, and graduated with a degree in electric power...

. The film stands in stark contrast to Zhu's previous film. In terms of production, South of the Clouds received the cooperation of the state apparatus unlike 2001's Seafood

Seafood (film)

Seafood is a 2001 Chinese film directed by the established writer Zhu Wen. Though Seafood was Zhu's first film as director, he had already gained some experience with filmmaking as a screenwriter for Zhang Ming and Zhang Yuan...

 which was an underground production shot on digital hand-held cameras. In terms of story, the transgressive tale of a prostitute and a policeman in Seafood is a far cry from South of the Clouds gentle tale of a retiree who fulfills a lifelong desire to travel to the southern province of Yunnan

Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...

 (literally "South of the Clouds").

South of the Clouds stars Li Xuejian as the main protagonist, Xu Daqin, and features a cameo by director Tian Zhuangzhuang

Tian Zhuangzhuang

Tian Zhuangzhuang is a Chinese film director and producer.Tian was born to an influential actor and actress in China. Following a short stint in the military, Tian began his artistic career first as an amateur photographer and then as an assistant cinematographer at the Beijing Agricultural Film...

 as the police chief in a small town in Yunnan. It was produced by China Film Assist, an independent production company in China; South of the Clouds was the company's first production.

Background

South of the Clouds was, at heart, an attempt by Zhu Wen to capture the image and beauty of Yunnan that he had experienced upon his first visit to the province. Beyond that, however, the film was an opportunity for Zhu to present his work to his home country. Following the completion of Seafood, Zhu "wanted to make something that [he] could show to [his] parents and...friends in China. Unlike Seafood, South of the Clouds did not encounter any issues with the state censors, in part because the film strictly followed all the relevant regulations.

Awards and nominations

South of the Clouds like many Chinese art films was screened at numerous film festivals around the world. It succeeded in winning a FIPRESCI

FIPRESCI

The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...

 prize and the Firebird Award for New Cinema at the 28th Hong Kong International Film Festival

Hong Kong International Film Festival

The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...

. The film also won a NETPAC

Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the instance and with the support of UNESCO, Paris.Headquartered...

 award at the 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...

 in 2004.

See also

• Mosuo
  Mosuo
  Known to many as the Mosuo , but known often to themselves as the Na, the Mosuo are a small ethnic group living in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China, close to the border with Tibet...
  
  - a matriarchal ethnic enclave in Yunnan, featured prominently in the film.