Cao Zhen

    caozhen0806@126.com

    SIX international arthouse films have been shown at OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT) every night since Dec. 13 and will continue through tomorrow. Initiated by award-winning Chinese arthouse movie director Lou Ye and co-curated by Japanese producer Takashi Asai and French producer Philippe Bober, the event was designed to present the current situation of independent arthouse movies in the world.

    Among the six movies, “The Night” by first-time Chinese director Zhou Hao was nominated for best feature film in the 64th Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama Section this year. It tells a story that takes place in an urban alley at night. A male prostitute with a narcissistic personality names himself Tuberose after meeting a female prostitute named Narcissus. They get into a dubious relationship where they toy with the idea of renting their bodies out to each other in a secret place inside a tunnel on a highway. As time passes, Narcissus develops an attachment for Tuberose, who appears reserved and aloof, until a mysterious man appears.

    Only 22, Zhou said he made the movie when he was studying mass media at Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications. “I didn’t look for investments for the movie because it was just a 50-minute short film in the beginning,” Zhou said Sunday in OCAT.

    Since all scenes in the movie were shot at night, Zhou borrowed high-quality filming and recording gadgets from his friends and finished the production in a month. After Zhou sent his movie to a Beijing movie production company, he was asked by the company to add more scenes and plots to make it a full-length 90-minute film because the company wanted to show it at film festivals. The movie was finally eyed by the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.

    The young talent’s zero-budget movie, however, was not shown in Chinese theaters like most domestic arthouse movies do. “The film industry is a system of production, distribution and screening. Chinese movie distributors can’t keep pace with audience members’ diversified tastes, so not many arthouse movies are shown in domestic theaters,” said Lou at OCAT on Saturday. “Arthouse movie directors should not be blamed for low box-office revenues. It depends on the industry,” Lou added.

    Bober, Lou’s longtime partner who sells Lou’s movies in Europe, agreed that commercial movies, such as comedies, mostly appeal to home audiences while arthouse movies are different. “Arthouse movies may be attractive to a small sum of audiences in their home countries, but they also attract small audiences in foreign countries,” said Bober.

    Lou, Bober and Asai got acquainted with each other around 2000 when Bober and Asai distributed Lou’s “Suzhou River” in their home countries. The three have been partners in producing and selling arthouse movies for 14 years. Other movies selected for the OCAT event have been nominated or awarded prizes in international film festivals. “Force Majeure” was awarded the jury prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected as the Swedish entry for best foreign language film at the 87th Academy Awards. “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” was awarded the Golden Lion Prize at the 71st Venice Film Festival.