At the beginning of each month, CFI posts a comprehensive list of Chinese film screenings in NYC. Here is what to see in February.
THEATRICAL RELEASES
Still from Legend of The Mountain
New Releases:
Till the End of the World 南极之恋 (Dir. You-yin Wu, China, 2018, 118 min)
Opens on Feb. 2 at AMC Empire 25
Based on the novel of the same name, “Till The End of The World” revolves around two souls (Mark Chao, Yang Zishan) stranded after a plane crash who must fight for survival.”The producers say the film is the ‘first feature in the world to have been shot in Antarctica,’ vividly showing the cruel coldness, challenges and dangers to which the cast and crew were exposed while there.” (ECNS) Watch the trailer HERE.
Legend of The Mountain 山中传奇 (Dir. King Hu, Taiwan, 1979, 191 min)
Opens on Feb. 2 at Metrograph
Beginning February 2, Metrograph will present the first-ever U.S. theatrical run of King Hu’s Legend of the Mountain. Always the maverick, Hu was working entirely independently on Legend of the Mountain, heading into rugged terrain in South Korea to film this atmospheric, hypnotic work suffused with supernatural overtones, which tells the story of a secluded scholar confronted by two seductive specters who threaten to draw his attention away from the sutra he’s struggling to transcribe. Watch the trailer HERE.
Monster Hunt 2 捉妖记2 (Dir. Raman Hui, China, 2018, 110 min)
Opens on Feb. 16 at AMC Empire 25 & College Point Multiplex Cinemas
The story continues with Wuba after he parts way with his human parents Tian (Jing Boran) and Lan (Bai Baihe) for his own journey. A heavy bounty is placed on Wuba dead or alive, forcing him to go into hiding again. He encounters an ill-famed gambler Tu (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) who’s deep in debt and seemingly up to no good. Together, they form a reluctant alliance in order to escape from their predicament. Watch the trailer HERE.
Detective Chinatown 2 唐人街探案2 (Dir. Chen Sicheng, China, 2018, 120 min)
Opens on Feb. 16 at AMC Empire 25
A follow up to the Chinese hit “Detective Chinatown,” the new film reunites writer/director Chen Sicheng and stars Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran. When the case of New York Chinatown godfather Uncle Qi’s missing son turns into a murder investigation, the detective duo Tang and Qin team up again to hunt down the killer—this time with some help from the International Detective Alliance. The main cast also includes Xiao Yang, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Michael Pitt and Japanese star Tsumabuki Satoshi. Watch the trailer HERE.
The Monkey King 3 西游记女儿国 (Dir. Pou-Soi Cheang, China/Hong Kong, 2018, 116 min)
Opens on Feb. 16 at AMC Empire 25
As Tang Sanzang (Feng Shaofeng) and his three proteges head into the all-female territory in the Xi Liang nation known as Women’s Country, they meet the ruler of the country (Zhao Liying). On Sun Wukong (Aaron Kwok)’s suggestion, Tang Sanzang pretends to marry the ruler and lies that his three students will go to fetch the scriptures in place of him. The film is the third installment of the Monkey King franchise, after The Monkey King (2014) and The Monkey King 2 (2016). Watch the trailer HERE.
Still from ‘Operation Red Sea’
Operation Red Sea 红海行动 (Dir. Dante Lam, China/Hong Kong/Morocco, 2018, 138 min)
Opens on Feb. 23 at AMC Empire 25
The film is loosely based on the evacuation of the 225 foreign nationals and almost 600 Chinese citizens from Yemen’s southern port of Aden during the 2015 Yemeni Civil War in late March. This film is said to be the “China’s First Modern Naval Film.” Watch the trailer HERE.
The Faces of My Gene 祖宗十九代 (Dir. Guo Degang, China, 2018, 95 min)
Opens on Feb. 23 at AMC Empire 25
The story of the film talks about a talented author who is held back by his ugly appearance and hides his true love towards a beautiful lady. Chinese Kung Fu actor Wu Jing, who has gained public attention and fame for “Wolf Warriors 2” was casted by famous comedian Guo Degang in a new film directed by himself. Watch the trailer HERE.
Agent Mr. Chan 栋笃特工 (Dir. Jeff Cheung Ka-Kit, Hong Kong/China, 2018 )
Opens on Feb. 23 at AMC
Mr. Chan was the top agent. Unfortunately, he has been removed from duties right after a mission failure, his partner made a mistake and offended the policewoman Ms Shek unintentionally. 20 years after, Ms Shek has no choice but put the problems aside to ask Mr. Chan giving her a hands for solving a mysterious case. With the evidence to show this case has been involved with a Cyber Goddess. Mr. Chan is inevitably to make up himself in a sloppy appearance, the situation become out of control. Watch the trailer HERE.
Still in Theater:
Have A Nice Day 大世界 (Dir. Liu Jian, China, 2017, 77 min)
Angelika Film Center
A hard rain is about to fall on a small town in Southern China. In a desperate attempt to find money to save his fiancée’s failed plastic surgery, Xiao Zhang, a mere driver, steals a bag containing 1 million from his boss… Have A Nice Day marks the first Chinese animated feature ever to compete in the Berlin Film Festival. Watch the trailer HERE.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS & SERIES
A Still from A Touch Of Zen
Metrograph Presents Film Series: MARTIAL / ART
Through Feb. 10
Since the earliest days of Chinese moviemaking the wuxia genre has been a fertile playground for filmmakers’ experimentation; this series celebrates some of the most revolutionary reimaginings of the wuxia from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China, with work ranging from the baroque and ornate to the deconstructed.
The Grandmaster 一代宗师(Dir. Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong / China, 2013, 130 min)
Wong’s seventh film with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai appeared in the midst of a spate of movies about its subject, the legendary martial artist Ip Man, but being a Wong movie The Grandmaster was something else entirely, a travelogue through the tumultuous history of China and Hong Kong from the years of the Sino-Japanese War on, pulsing with a feeling of loss and passionately displaying the beauty of tradition.
The Assassin 刺客聂隐娘(Dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan, 2015, 105 min)
The Assassin is the first foray into wuxia territory by Taiwanese master Hou, one of his generation’s most acclaimed filmmakers. In his hands the story of Shu Qi’s hit-woman, steeling herself for a mission to eliminate her onetime betrothed (Chang Chen), becomes one of the most voluptuous, entrancing martial arts pictures ever made.
A Touch Of Zen 侠女(Dir. King Hu, Taiwan, 1971, 187 min)
A three-hour martial arts film and the first fight doesn’t happen until the last act—but it’s so transcendentally beautiful, profound, and exhilarating in its artistry as to mesmerize audiences to this day.
Screening and Discussion: Money and Honey (Dir. Jasmine Ching-Hui Lee, Taiwan, 2011, 101 min)
Feb. 9 at NYU Tisch School Cinema Studies
“Money and Honey” is a documentary about immigrant workers’ struggle between dreams and reality, spanning 13 years of filming in Taiwan and the Philippines. Living away from their loved ones, both the caregivers and the elderly residents in the nursing home suffer from homesickness. The Filipino caregivers sing a self-mocking song, “No Money, No Honey!” to comfort themselves. Screening followed by a discussion with the director, Jasmine Ching-Hui Lee and a preview trailer of Lee’s work in progress “Come Back My Child.”
The Silent Teacher (Dir. Maso Chen, Taiwan, 2017, 73 min)
Feb. 16 at The Museum of Modern Arts
Inside the morgue at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, a man brushes his late wife’s hair while telling her about his day. Referring to the name given to bodies donated for medical research, The Silent Teacher tells the dual story of the Lin family’s grief over their lost matriarch, and the students who will learn how to be better doctors thanks to her selfless donation. Maso Chen’s thoughtful film seeks out the connection between the physical body and the soul within. US Premiere. Watch the trailer HERE.
A Still from Death Duel
Quad Cinema Presents Film Series: Have Sword, Will Travel
A new monthly series, co-presented and programmed by Subway Cinema and the Quad, focuses on rogue warriors, rebel swordsmen, and other wandering heroes from the Far East and explores the multifaceted figure of the knight errant in East Asian films.
The Avenging Eagle (Dir.Sun Chung, Hong Kong, 1978, 86 min)
Feb. 18
Chi Ming-sing (Ti Lung), a member of the ruthless Iron Boat clan, narrowly survives a heist gone awry and takes to the road, leaving behind his life of crime. On his journey he teams up with mysterious martial artist Cheuk Yi-fan (Alexander Fu Sheng) to fight the clan’s killers, known as the 13 Cold-Blooded Eagles, who are in hot pursuit.
Death Duel (Dir. Chu Yuan, Hong Kong, 1977, 84 min)
Feb. 18
The Third Master is known to be the greatest swordsman of the jiang hu, the eerie and fantastical world populated by rival clans of martial artists. He finds himself constantly beset by challengers to his title while he tries to unravel the web of intrigue and conspiracy that has forced him into hiding.
A Still from House of Flying Daggers
House of Flying Daggers (Dir. Zhang Yimou, China, 2004, 119 min)
Feb. 22 at Videology Cinema
A romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem. Watch the clip HERE.
Old Dog + Leaving Fear Behind (Dir. Pema Tseden /Dhondup Wangchen and Jigme Gyatso)
Feb. 28 at Videology Cinema
Old Dog is both a humorous and tragic allegory and a sober depiction of life in contemporary rural Tibet. Weaving together narrative strands of humor and gravity, Old Dog beautifully depicts life among the rural Tibetan people and the erosion of Tibetan culture under the pressures of contemporary society.
Leaving Fear Behind, a short film by self-taught Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen, documents the Tibetan people’s uncensored thoughts on Chinese rule.
2046 (Dir. Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong, 2004, 129 min)
Metrograph. Showtime TBD.
Written at the same time as his In the Mood for Love and bringing together characters and narrative threads from both that film and Days of Being Wild, Wong’s 2046 completes his loose trilogy of achingly unrequited love stories. Screens as a part of the film series: Visionary Form: Dressing Up For The Screen.
Winter Film Awards International Film Festival Presents:
A Roar of Wolf Troops (Dir. Xinwu Zhang, China / UK, 2016, 90 min)
Feb. 25 at Cinema Village
In World War II, when the Japanese Imperial Army invades China, the Wolf troops of the Zhuang minority embark on a secret mission to protect a consignment of medicine vital to China’s war effort. When the enemy learns about the mission, they attempt to hijack the goods and a great struggle ensues.
The Revenge of Phantom Knight (Dir. David Shao, China, 2017, 105 min)
Feb. 26 at Cinema Village
A patriotic doctor returns to his homeland with his family, seeking a long missing treasure. A series of weird things keeps happening and the doctor begins to behave oddly. Meanwhile, a madman is murdering the local citizens and the doctor’s wife starts to have suspicions. Right before she is able to uncover the truth, another larger conspiracy quietly comes along.
