Return to Dust (film)
| Return to Dust | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Literally | Hidden in the Smoke |
| Directed by | Li Ruijun |
| Written by | Li Ruijun |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Wang Weihua |
| Edited by | Li Ruijun |
| Music by | Peyman Yazdanian |
Production company | Hucheng No.7 Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 133 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin Chinese |
Return to Dust (Chinese: 隐入尘烟; pinyin: Yǐn rù chényān) is a Chinese drama film written and directed by Li Ruijun. It had its world premiere at Berlinale 2022.[1] It is in Mandarin Chinese with a run time of 133 minutes.[2] It premiered in the United Kingdom at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2022, and will go on general release in November.[3][4]
The film was pulled from streaming services in China on September 26, 2022. Mentioning of the film on Weibo was also banned.[5][6]
Synopsis
The story follows the lives of Ma Youtie and Cao Guiying in rural Gansu. Guiying is disabled, infertile, had been mistreated by her family, and is past the normal age by which women would be married in rural China.[1] Their families arrange a marriage between the two and they fall in love. They lead a simple life farming with their donkey. There are multiple empty properties in their hometown and they move into one of them. A government incentive of a large cash payment to demolish the poorly built and unoccupied houses is lucrative for their owners who have migrated elsewhere for work. Each time the house they are in is demolished, Youtie and Guiying move to another unoccupied property and build an even better and larger homestead and improve their farm yields. A local businessman has an emergency and requires blood transfusions. Youtie learns that he shares the same rare blood type and then is frequently called in to donate blood to save the businessman's life. In return for his blood donations, the businessman's wealthy family offers Youtie lavish gifts, which he respectfully declines.[7] This includes being signed up for a new apartment, which Youtie and Guiying also decline, citing where will their animals live. While waiting with food for Youtie, Guiying has a seizure and falls into the irrigation canal. The locals sitting by the canal do not help her and she drowns. Youtie frees his hard-worked donkey and returns to his house. As before, the absentee owner returns, accepts the government payment, that house is demolished, leaving Youtie with his remaining belongings in a hand cart.
Cast and crew
| Ma Youtie | Wu Renlin |
| Cao Guiying | Hai Qing |
| Written, directed and edited by | Li Ruijun |
| Cinematography | Wang Weihua |
| Music | Peyman Yazdanian |
| Sound | Wang Changrui |
| Production Design | Li Ruijun, Han Dahai |
| Costumes | Wu Jingyin |
| Make-Up | Wu Jingyin |
| Assistant Director | Li Daiqing |
| Production Manager | Zhao Shuai |
| Casting | Li RuiQi |
| Producers | Zhang Min, Li Yan |
| Executive Producer | Qin Hong |
| Co-Producers | Sun Yang, Feng Qiong, Wang Tianye, Zhao Yiyan |
| Co-Production |
|
| Source:[1] | |
Production
In order to make the film cast and crew had to live in a remote town in the northwest of Gansu and Hai Qing, who is an acclaimed film star in China, actually lived with Wu Renlin who is a local man who is an untrained actor. Hai was taught the skills required to be a farmer and participated in the mud brick house building. Hai also learned the local dialect. Wu normally works as a farmer.[8]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 72nd Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Return to Dust | Nominated | [9] |
References
- ^ a b c "Yin Ru Chen Yan | Return to Dust". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ "Return to Dust". www.fareastfilm.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ Devine, Paul (2022-07-21). "Edinburgh Film Festival To Give Drama Return To Dust UK Premiere -". Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ "Return to Dust (2022) Awards & Festivals". mubi.com. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ Novak, Matt (27 September 2022). "What Happens When China Makes a Popular Homegrown Movie Disappear?". Gizmodo.
- ^ "Rural love story hit movie 'Return to Dust' banned in China ahead of party congress?". RFA - Radio Free Asia. 27 September 2022.
- ^ Kiang, Jessica (2022-02-14). "'Return to Dust' Review: A Compassionate but Cautious Chinese Drama of Rural Lives Ennobled by Sacrifice". Variety. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ Tone, Sixth (2022-07-08). "'Return to Dust': The Chinese Film Pushing Realism to New Extremes". SixthTone. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (16 February 2022). "Spanish Drama 'Alcarràs' Wins Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival". Variety.