Thirteen Princess Trees
Encyclopedia
Thirteen Princess Trees is a 2006 Chinese film
directed by cinematographer-cum-director Lü Yue
and based on the novel Blade vs. Blade by He Dacao. The film, Lü's third as director was shot on digital video primarily in Chengdu
, the capital of China's Sichuan
province.
Thirteen Princess Trees was produced by Beijing Golden Skyway Media Company and the Changchun Film Studio
.
The film follows several disaffected youth in the fictional Thirteen Princess High School in Chengdu. Feng (Liu Xin), the film's protagonist, is a short-haired tomboy who has a love affair with the jock, Taotao (Duan Bowen). With the arrival of Bao (Zhao Mengqiao), a student from Beijing, Feng finds herself gravitating to the new presence.
After its win at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival, Thirteen Princess Trees was set to be released throughout Asia. Originally set to be released in Mainland China on March 23, 2007, the film, at the last minute, was pulled by the China Film Bureau for a "second review." Officially the reason for the delay was said to be due to delays in the transference from digital to 35 mm film
, although rumors remained that the film's depiction of sexuality and violence had caused authorities to reconsider their original "content" approval. On the other hand, Trees Chinese distributor, Forbidden City Films, blamed the delay on unexpectedly tight scheduling issues.
.
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
directed by cinematographer-cum-director Lü Yue
Lü Yue
Lü Yue is a Chinese cinematographer and film director. Born in Tianjin, Lü is today among the most important cinematographers of recent Chinese cinema, and is particularly well known for his collaborations with director Zhang Yimou with whom he served as director of photography in three films...
and based on the novel Blade vs. Blade by He Dacao. The film, Lü's third as director was shot on digital video primarily in Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, the capital of China's Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province.
Thirteen Princess Trees was produced by Beijing Golden Skyway Media Company and the Changchun Film Studio
Changchun Film Group Corporation
Changchun Film Group Corporation is a Chinese film production company in Changchun, Jilin province, China. It is one of the studios transitioned from the 1940s, and has been considered one of the cornerstones of the Chinese film industry...
.
The film follows several disaffected youth in the fictional Thirteen Princess High School in Chengdu. Feng (Liu Xin), the film's protagonist, is a short-haired tomboy who has a love affair with the jock, Taotao (Duan Bowen). With the arrival of Bao (Zhao Mengqiao), a student from Beijing, Feng finds herself gravitating to the new presence.
Cast
- Liu Xin as Feng, a tomboy in a high school in ChengduChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
; - Duan Bowen as Taotao, the high school jock and the object of Liu Xin's affection;
- Zhao Mengqiao as Bao, a transfer student from BeijingBeijingBeijing , 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...
; - Chen Keliang as A-Li, a privileged student under the protection of Taotao;
- Wang Jing as Jojo, the class monitor;
- Luo Yadan as Eva, a handicapped student who observes the others from afar;
- Shang Hui as Feng's father, a local police officer.
Release controversy
Thirteen Princess Treess tale of disaffected youth was already "tamed" for the authorities before even being filmed. As compared to He Dacao's original novel, much of the film's depiction of youth delinquency and sexuality was already excised.After its win at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival, Thirteen Princess Trees was set to be released throughout Asia. Originally set to be released in Mainland China on March 23, 2007, the film, at the last minute, was pulled by the China Film Bureau for a "second review." Officially the reason for the delay was said to be due to delays in the transference from digital to 35 mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
, although rumors remained that the film's depiction of sexuality and violence had caused authorities to reconsider their original "content" approval. On the other hand, Trees Chinese distributor, Forbidden City Films, blamed the delay on unexpectedly tight scheduling issues.
Reception
Thirteen Princess Trees garnered the Special Jury Prize at the 19th Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
.
External links
- Thirteen Princess Trees at the Chinese Movie Database