The Old Stories Under the City Wall
Director：Wu Zhenhui
Screenwriter：Wu Zhenhui, Chen Taizhen
Cast：Han Zhongli, Xu Junfeng, Zhang Zixi
Producer：Wu Zhenhui
Cinematographer：Xie Liang
Running Time：39mins
Region：China
Year：2023
Language：Mandarin Chinese, Chinese Dialect
Production Company：Nanjing SurfPower Culture Media Co., Ltd
SYNOPSIS
In the 1990s in Nanjing, high school students Wu Nan and Chen Xiao forged a profound friendship. However, when Chen Xiao was about to leave Nanjing for family and academic reasons, Wu Nan began to question whether his feelings for him had gone beyond friendship. After Chen Xiao’s grandmother passed away, Wu Nan’s emotional struggle felt more intense. He eventually chose to confide in Chen Xiao through an email. When Chen Xiao returned to Nanjing, the dynamic between the two became complex, leaving Wu Nan confused and uncertain. Meanwhile, Wu Nan’s relationship with Xiao Jing also faced its own set of challenges. On the day Chen Xiao left Nanjing, Wu Nan, overwhelmed with emotion, shed tears of farewell, marking the end of their story in the early summer.
Director Biography
<p> Wu Zhenhui, a creative talent who has dedicated himself to the field of police propaganda, wears multiple hats as a director, screenwriter, and producer. Graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication at Nanjing Normal University, he has seamlessly blended academic theory with practical experience, delivering numerous innovative and profound film and television works to the audience. His works have been recognized with numerous awards, including the First Prize for the “Learn from Lei Feng Volunteer Service” Public Service Advertisement in Nanjing in 2019, the Second Prize in the First “Legal Lubrication Yinchuan” Legal Propaganda Creativity Competition in 2017, and the Second Prize in the Safe Jiangsu Awards in 2017. Among his representative works are the micro-documentary “Good Morning, Nanjing,” the micro-film “Joint Duty Crew,” and the public welfare micro-film “Ningxin Zhiyuan.” These works have played a pivotal role in spreading positive energy and promoting socialist core values. Additionally, he has been involved in the production of micro-short dramas on anti-terrorism for the Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau, as well as directing and editing the documentary “Charm of Huaiyang” on the non-heritage of the China Culinary Association.</p>
Director's Statement
First of all, the film primarily focuses on presenting a “prose-like style.” To achieve this artistic aspiration, the film emphasizes the portrayal of characters’ subjective states and minimizes conflicts and contradictions. At the same time, it strives to create an ethereal visual effect. Second, the film incorporates various techniques to evoke a nostalgic sentiment. The utilization of era-specific sounds and artistic elements effectively captures the vibes of the 1990s. Lastly, the film incorporates the unique local color of Nanjing. To accomplish this, I selected representative spaces and endeavored to reflect Nanjing’s culinary culture through the characters’ actions and dialogues. Furthermore, I made efforts to embed the city’s cultural ideals of “inclusive and universal love” into the characters’ personas.
Leave a Comment