Xiao Wu
Encyclopedia
Xiao Wu also known as The Pickpocket is a 1997
Chinese
movie directed by Jia Zhangke
.
The film was the directorial debut of Jia Zhangke
, one of the major figures of the so-called Sixth Generation of Chinese cinema and stars Wang Hongwei
in the titular role along with Hao Hongjian and Zuo Baitao. Xiao Wu was filmed in the city of Fenyang
in in 16 mm
.
. While still in school, Jia directed the short film Xiao Shan Going Home
which he was eventually able to screen abroad, winning the top prize at the 1997 Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards
This success brought Jia into contact with cinematographer Yu Lik-wai
and producer Li Kit Ming. With their support, Jia was able to begin work on Xiao Wu, which would become his first feature film. Xiao Wu was shot on a mere 400,000 RMB budget (or about $50,000 US).
, a noted fan of Jia's works.
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
Chinese
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...
movie directed by Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke is a Chinese film director. He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" movement of Chinese cinema, a group that also includes such figures as Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhang Yuan....
.
The film was the directorial debut of Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke is a Chinese film director. He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" movement of Chinese cinema, a group that also includes such figures as Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhang Yuan....
, one of the major figures of the so-called Sixth Generation of Chinese cinema and stars Wang Hongwei
Wang Hongwei
Wang Hongwei is a Chinese actor. Wang is perhaps best known for his work with director Jia Zhangke. The two men were classmates at the Beijing Film Academy when they began their professional relationship, with Wang starring in Jia's breakthrough short film Xiao Shan Going Home in 1995...
in the titular role along with Hao Hongjian and Zuo Baitao. Xiao Wu was filmed in the city of Fenyang
Fenyang
Fenyang city , formerly as Fenyang County before 1996, is a county-level city under the administration of Lüliang prefecture-level city, in Shanxi Province, China....
in in 16 mm
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
.
Production history
While a student in the mid-1990s, Jia Zhangke remained a relative unknown at China's prestigious Beijing Film AcademyBeijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specialised in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia...
. While still in school, Jia directed the short film Xiao Shan Going Home
Xiao Shan Going Home
Xiao Shan Going Home is a Chinese short film directed by Jia Zhangke. The film, running around one hour in length, was made by Jia while he was attending the Beijing Film Academy and stars his friend, classmate, and now frequent collaborator, Wang Hongwei in the titular role.The film follows a...
which he was eventually able to screen abroad, winning the top prize at the 1997 Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards
This success brought Jia into contact with cinematographer Yu Lik-wai
Yu Lik-wai
Yu Lik-wai is a Hong Kong cinematographer, film director, and occasional film producer. Born in Hong Kong, Yu was educated at Belgium's INSAS where he graduated with a degree in cinematography in 1994...
and producer Li Kit Ming. With their support, Jia was able to begin work on Xiao Wu, which would become his first feature film. Xiao Wu was shot on a mere 400,000 RMB budget (or about $50,000 US).
Reception
Xiao Wu was praised by the American filmmaker Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
, a noted fan of Jia's works.
Awards and nominations
- Berlin International Film Festival, Forum section, 19981998 in film-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
- NETPAC Award
- Wolfgang Staudte Award
- Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaBuenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaThe Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The festival is managed by the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, it is not...
, 19991999 in filmThe year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
- Official selection
- Nantes Three Continents Festival, 19981998 in film-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
- Golden Montgolfiere (Tied with Wandâfuru raifu)
- Pusan International Film FestivalPusan International Film FestivalBusan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
, 19981998 in film-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
- New Currents Award
- San Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
, 19991999 in filmThe year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
- SKYY Prize
- Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
19981998 in film-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
- Dragons and Tigers AwardDragons and Tigers AwardVIFF Dragons and Tigers Award for Young Cinema is an award from the Vancouver International Film Festival for a film director from Asia-Pacific region. It awards a creative and innovative film, made early in the director's career, which has not yet won significant international recognition...
- Dragons and Tigers Award
External links
- Xiao Wu at the Chinese Movie Database